Two individuals expelled by the Trump administration to Equatorial Guinea were subjected to physical violence while in detention at Hotel Bamy, a facility housing approximately 30 deported US residents, according to accounts provided by witnesses and human rights lawyers representing the detainees.
The alleged incident involved Ahmed Soliman, 31, an Egyptian national, and Samson Birhane, 47, an Eritrean national, who were reportedly restrained, fitted with bags over their heads, and beaten before being transferred to a prison facility in Malabo. Legal representatives and detainees indicated the men believed they were targeted in retaliation for communicating information about conditions at the hotel and guard conduct to media outlets and human rights organizations. The alleged beating occurred on 11 September, following the release of video footage documented by Soliman showing conditions at the facility and conduct by armed personnel.
The US has relocated at least 66 individuals from various African nations, Cuba, and Brazil to Equatorial Guinea as part of an agreement in which the country received $7.5 million to participate in deportation procedures. The Trump administration has negotiated similar arrangements with multiple nations to accept individuals whom US courts determined would face torture or persecution if returned to their home countries. Detainees at Hotel Bamy have reported operating under 24-hour armed guard supervision, lack of medical care, and absence of fresh clothing since arrival. Human rights advocates have expressed concern regarding conditions at the facility, citing the Equatorial Guinean government’s documented history of human rights violations according to US State Department assessments.
Following the alleged beating, authorities conducted searches of detainees’ rooms for cellular phones and restricted legal representatives’ access to the individuals held at the facility. Human rights legal organizations have characterized the situation as a crisis, calling for accountability from both the US and Equatorial Guinea. The UN issued a public statement in May urging Equatorial Guinea to cease plans involving return of deportees to countries where they would face persecution, citing obligations under international human rights standards.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI