US Deportees Subjected to Severe Abuse in Equatorial Guinea, Lawyers Report

Two men deported from the United States to Equatorial Guinea were bound, hooded, beaten, and pushed down stairs in front of other detainees before being transferred to a prison, according to human rights lawyers and witnesses. The incident reportedly targeted 31-year-old Ahmed Soliman of Egypt and 47-year-old Samson Birhane of Eritrea, who were being held alongside approximately 30 other US deportees at the Hotel Bamy near Malabo.

Witnesses and advocates believe the assault on September 11 occurred because the men documented and shared information with journalists and human rights groups regarding violent conditions and inadequate care inside the detention facility. Officers reportedly demanded to know where the deportees kept their mobile phones while beating them. Following the assault, police searched hotel rooms, seized communication devices, banned legal visits, and reportedly threatened remaining detainees.

Deportation Agreements and Facility Conditions

The US administration has sent at least 66 individuals from various African nations, Cuba, and Brazil to Equatorial Guinea under a $7.5 million agreement. Similar third-country agreements have been established to relocate immigrants whom US judges ruled could not be directly returned to their home countries due to risks of torture or persecution. Many deportees have no personal ties, language skills, or legal status in Equatorial Guinea.

Human rights organizations have repeatedly warned about conditions at Hotel Bamy, where armed guards maintain continuous oversight. Detainees reported receiving no fresh clothing or medical care upon arrival. Some individuals managed to secure essential medications for chronic conditions through legal representatives, but express concern that access could be revoked. Soliman, who previously resided in Phoenix, and Birhane, who arrived in the US as a child refugee, both previously received US judicial rulings protecting them from direct return to their native countries due to torture risks.

International Concerns and Legal Interventions

At least 12 people held in Equatorial Guinea have already been sent back to their home countries. In May, United Nations human rights experts publicly urged Equatorial Guinea to cease returning deportees to nations where they face persecution. Additionally, the African Commission issued an urgent interim order in July directing Equatorial Guinean authorities not to relocate or deport individuals against their will.

Attorneys representing the detainees reported that multiple emergency emails sent to the US Embassy in Equatorial Guinea detailed ongoing threats and violence, but received no response from officials.