Deportee in Equatorial Guinea who criticised police tactics taken into custody, lawyer says
An Egyptian man who was deported from the United States to Equatorial Guinea, and who has spoken out against alleged rough treatment by security forces there, has been taken into police custody and is being held incommunicado, his lawyer said on Friday.
An Egyptian man deported from the U.S. to Equatorial Guinea and critical of local security tactics is now being held in police custody, according to his lawyer. Police allegedly used firearms against migrants and seized their phones during an altercation last week, raising concerns about the safety of deported migrants. Kate O’Donnell, an immigration attorney representing the man, says security forces cited her client's Reuters interview as justification for phone confiscation.
On Friday, security forces removed the man from the holding hotel, marking his custody. A coalition of human rights organizations reported another migrant was arrested. Equatorial Guinea's government has not commented on the incident or Soliman's current status. The man acknowledged the risks of speaking out to the press, citing "soul-searching" and potential repercussions.
The U.S. has recently signed multiple deportation agreements with African nations, despite rights groups' concerns over transparency and deportees' eventual return to their home countries. The coalition filed a complaint against Equatorial Guinea with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in June regarding its third-country deportation arrangement.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
