Two men sent from the United States to Equatorial Guinea say local police arrested and beat them, according to their lawyers and human rights groups.
Ahmed Soliman, an Egyptian national, and Samson Birhane, an Eritrean national, are among more than 40 people the US has sent to Equatorial Guinea. Their lawyers believe police targeted the men after they raised concerns about detention conditions and alleged violence.
The men first stayed with other deportees at the Bamy Hotel near Malabo. Equatorial Guinea converted the hotel into a detention center for asylum seekers sent from the US.
The Trump administration reached a reported $7.5 million agreement with Equatorial Guinea for the transfers. Earlier this year, The Associated Press gained exclusive access to the facility.
Police Transfer Two Men to Station
Police arrested Soliman and Birhane on September 11. Their lawyers say officers accused them of breaking a mirror.
The lawyers also say police later returned the men to the hotel. Officers allegedly covered their heads with bags and beat them in front of other detainees.
Police then took both men to La Luna police station. Their lawyers say they have not spoken with either man since the transfer.
The lawyers also accuse authorities of pressuring the men to accept deportation to their home countries. Officers allegedly tried to take away their phones as well.
International media have published videos showing Soliman protesting his treatment. Another video reportedly shows an officer holding him at gunpoint inside the hotel.
Rights Groups Raise Alarm
Human rights groups have raised concerns about police treatment of the deportees.
Isabella Mosselmans leads the Global Strategic Litigation Council. The group represents detainees as part of a wider legal coalition.
Mosselmans said her organization had documented more cases of police violence in recent months.
She described an incident on July 31 involving five detainees. According to Mosselmans, masked officers entered several hotel rooms. The officers allegedly grabbed detainees, tackled them and handcuffed them.
Mosselmans also said officers threatened the detainees with guns.
Amnesty International has also raised concerns about Soliman and Birhane.
The rights group said police may have targeted the men because they reported alleged threats and violence. Amnesty also said police had placed the men in an overcrowded cell.
The organization described the reported detention conditions as inhumane.
US Expands Third-Country Deportations
The case comes as the US expands deportations to countries other than migrants’ countries of origin.
The Trump administration has sent thousands of people to nearly two dozen third countries. Immigration advocates say officials use these agreements to discourage further immigration.
US judges had protected many Equatorial Guinea deportees from immediate removal to their home countries. However, lawyers say authorities have since returned 12 people.
Four Ethiopians returned to Ethiopia earlier this month, according to their lawyers.
Equatorial Guinea ranks among at least eight African countries that have reached similar agreements with the United States.
The arrangements have drawn criticism from immigration lawyers. They argue that third-country transfers can create a path toward indirect deportation.
Questions Over Detention Conditions
People still held at the Bamy Hotel have also reported problems with local authorities.
According to their lawyers, police tried to confiscate detainees’ phones. Lawyers say officers have also used threats and force during disputes.
Equatorial Guinea has significant oil wealth. However, rights groups and the US State Department have long raised concerns about corruption and human rights abuses.
Critics accuse the government of restricting political opposition. Rights organizations have also reported cases of arbitrary detention, torture and other serious abuses.
The government has not publicly addressed all of the allegations surrounding Soliman and Birhane.
Meanwhile, their lawyers continue to seek access to both men.
Soliman and Birhane had lived in the United States for decades before their deportation. Their current detention has renewed questions about the treatment of migrants sent to third countries.
The allegations against Equatorial Guinean police have not been independently verified. The claims come primarily from the men’s lawyers and human rights organizations.
