An account from witnesses and human rights lawyers says two men expelled from the United States under the Trump administration were bound, fitted with bags over their heads, beaten and pushed down a flight of stairs at a detention hotel in Equatorial Guinea. The assault, reportedly carried out in full view of other deportees, preceded the two men being transferred to a prison, according to the sources.
Accounts from detainees and lawyers
Several detainees who remain at Hotel Bamy on the outskirts of Malabo have told lawyers and rights groups that the victims were singled out after speaking to journalists and human rights advocates about conditions inside the hotel. About 30 people deported from the United States are still being held at the property, the sources said.
Lawyers working with the detainees described the reported violence and the public nature of the assault, which they say has left other residents of the hotel shaken and fearful of further retaliation. Rights groups have sounded the alarm over what they describe as poor conditions and pervasive violence at the site.
Detainees have reported psychological effects from witnessing the incident and previous episodes, saying they are haunted by flashbacks and terrified of being targeted next. Human rights advocates have expressed concern for the safety of those still held at the hotel and for the two men who were moved to prison.
The reports come amid broader scrutiny of deportation practices and the treatment of returnees and detainees in countries that receive people removed from the United States. Lawyers and rights groups involved in the case are calling for greater access to the detainees and for investigations into the alleged abuse, while warning that restrictions on information are complicating independent verification of events.