Two men deported from the United States to Equatorial Guinea were bound, hooded with bags and beaten before being taken to a prison in Malabo, according to witnesses and human rights lawyers. The men, Ahmed Soliman of Egypt and Samson Birhane of Eritrea, were allegedly attacked on 11 September in view of other US deportees.
The incident has intensified concern over 29 people still held at Hotel Bamy, a detention site on the outskirts of Malabo. Lawyers say police have searched rooms for phones, confiscated devices and barred them from visiting detainees.
What witnesses and lawyers reported
Witnesses said officers shouted, “Where is the phone?” while beating Soliman and Birhane. The men had initially been accused of breaking a hotel mirror before being separated and arrested. Detainees believe they were targeted after speaking with journalists and human rights advocates about conditions at the hotel. Related coverage: Visa curbs target South Africans over alleged race policies.
A video filmed by Soliman and shared by lawyers shows authorities pointing guns at deportees. In one exchange, officers ordered Soliman to remain on his knees with his hands raised for 10 to 15 minutes after noticing him recording. Lawyers said authorities later told the remaining detainees they might never see Soliman or Birhane again.
Conditions at Hotel Bamy
Human rights advocates and experts have warned that the run-down hotel is unsafe. Detainees have said armed guards monitor them around the clock and that they have received neither medical care nor fresh clothes since arriving.
One detainee with a severe stomach hernia said he had been unable to obtain the hospital treatment needed to drain excess fluid. Other detainees received medication for HIV, diabetes and other conditions through human rights lawyers, but fear access could be stopped without warning.
Why the deportees were sent there
The United States has sent at least 66 people from African countries, Cuba and Brazil to Equatorial Guinea under a deportation arrangement that provided the country with $7.5m. The administration has pursued third-country agreements for people who cannot be removed directly to countries where judges have found they would face torture or persecution. Read the context: More than 5,000 Ethiopians face loss of US deportation protections.
Advocates say the policy leaves deportees in countries where they have no ties, do not speak the language and lack legal status. The US state department has described Equatorial Guinea as having a record of human rights abuses, including torture. At least 12 people have been returned from Equatorial Guinea to their home countries, according to the factual account, despite concerns about persecution.
Official responses and legal action
In May, United Nations human rights experts urged Equatorial Guinea to stop plans to return deportees to countries where they could face persecution and to comply with protections against refoulement. In July, the African Commission issued an interim order directing Equatorial Guinea not to deport, transfer or relocate the detainees against their will while a lawsuit over detention conditions proceeds.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it was no longer responsible for people who were no longer in its custody and described Equatorial Guinea as a safe third country. The State Department said the US would use legal means to remove people without a right to remain, but it did not answer questions about the reported treatment or whether it had intervened.
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