Men deported from US bound and beaten in Equatorial Guinea detention hotel, lawyers say
Source: Guardian World ↗
Two men deported from the United States to Equatorial Guinea – Ahmed Soliman, 31, from Egypt, and Samson Birhane, 47, from Eritrea – were violently restrained, beaten and forced down a flight of stairs while other U.S. deportees watched. The assault, which took place on 11 September, occurred after the men were accused of breaking a hotel mirror and then shouted at by police demanding “Where is the phone?” The attackers bound the victims, placed bags over their heads and struck them in plain view of the other detainees before transferring them to a prison in Malabo. The two men had been documenting the conditions at Hotel Bamy, a rundown detention hotel on the outskirts of Malabo, when they were seized; the beating followed the release of a Reuters video showing the hotel’s poor conditions and guard violence. The incident was witnessed by multiple detainees and reported by human‑rights lawyers, who say the men were targeted for trying to inform the press and advocates about the abuse.
The episode highlights the broader crisis facing roughly 30 U.S. deportees still confined at Hotel Bamy after being expelled under a Trump‑era agreement that sent at least 66 people from Africa, Cuba and Brazil to Equatorial Guinea for $7.5 million. The authoritarian regime, long flagged by the U.S. State Department for torture and other abuses, has turned the hotel into a de‑facto detention centre where armed guards monitor detainees 24 hours a day, deny medical care and confiscate personal belongings. Detainees report severe health neglect, including a man with a serious stomach hernia unable to see a doctor, and reliance on lawyers to obtain medication for HIV, diabetes and other conditions. The two beaten men were allegedly punished for using cellphones to contact lawyers and the media, a practice that prompted police to point guns at deportees, seize phones and threaten further violence. The United Nations has already issued a rare public appeal urging Equatorial Guinea to stop returning deportees to their home countries, where they risk persecution, and to comply with international standards against refoulement.
In the week after the beating, authorities intensified the crackdown, searching rooms for phones, confiscating them and barring lawyers from visiting the remaining 29 U.S. deportees. Detainees have been warned they may never see Soliman or Birhane again, fueling fear of further retaliation. Human‑rights advocates, including Bella Mosselmans of the Global Strategic Litigation Council, describe the situation as a “human rights catastrophe” and call for both the United States and Equatorial Guinea to be held accountable for the atrocities. The incident underscores the peril of the Trump administration’s policy of sending migrants to third‑country “safe‑third‑country” arrangements, which often leave individuals in legal limbo with no language skills, ties or status, and exposes them to the risk of torture and indefinite detention.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economymedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶International capital can shift direction faster than headlines suggest.
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🏙️Local Economylow impact
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🏦Rates & Banksmedium impact
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- ▶A story like this can linger in the back of people's minds for a while.
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💷Wealthmedium impact
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- ▶Estate agents typically say the market takes weeks to catch up with news.
🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 0.8% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.9% with inflation at 1.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 7.9%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at 0.7% with inflation at 7.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.