Deported Men Beaten and Bound at Equatorial Guinea Hotel After US Removal, Lawyers Say

Two men expelled from the United States under the Trump administration's third-country deportation program were bound, fitted with bags over their heads, beaten, and pushed down a flight of stairs in plain view of other US deportees in Equatorial Guinea, according to witnesses and human rights lawyers. The violent incident occurred on September 11 at the Hotel Bamy on the outskirts of the coastal city of Malabo, where approximately 30 detainees from the US remain trapped.

Legal representatives and witnesses reported that the two men—identified as 31-year-old Ahmed Soliman of Egypt and 47-year-old Samson Birhane of Eritrea—were targeted following the release of video footage documenting poor conditions and aggressive guard behavior inside the facility. The videos, which had been shared with media organizations and lawyers via cellphones, captured authorities pointing guns at detainees and restricting access to communication and relatives. Following the beating, Soliman and Birhane were transferred to a prison in Malabo, and remaining detainees reported that police launched room searches to confiscate all cellphones while barring legal counsel from visiting the hotel.

The Trump administration has sent at least 66 individuals from various African countries, Cuba, and Brazil to Equatorial Guinea as part of an arrangement in which the host nation received $7.5 million to cooperate with US removals. The policy involves expelling individuals to third countries where they lack cultural ties, language familiarity, and legal status. Previously, individuals whom judges determined would face torture or persecution if returned directly to their home countries were permitted to live and work in the US indefinitely.

Human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that conditions at Hotel Bamy are hazardous. Detainees stated that armed guards monitor the facility around the clock and that individuals have been denied medical care and fresh clothing upon arrival. One detainee suffering from a severe stomach hernia reported being unable to see a doctor, while others relied on human rights lawyers to source essential medications for chronic conditions such as HIV and diabetes. Bella Mosselmans, director of the Global Strategic Litigation Council and legal representative for several detainees, characterized the situation as a human rights catastrophe and stated that both the US and Equatorial Guinea must face accountability.

Both Soliman and Birhane arrived in the US as children. Soliman, a gay man who lived in Phoenix for most of his life, lost his permanent resident status following a drug possession conviction; a US judge had previously determined he would face torture in Egypt due to his sexuality. Birhane arrived as a refugee at age 13 and lost his status after a high school robbery conviction in 1988, subsequently receiving judicial protection against deportation to Eritrea due to torture risks. Witnesses noted that authorities have told remaining detainees they may never see Soliman or Birhane again.

In May, United Nations human rights experts issued a public appeal urging Equatorial Guinea to halt plans to return deportees to their home countries, warning against refoulement. The African Commission also issued an urgent interim order in July instructing Equatorial Guinea to refrain from moving or deporting detainees against their will amid an ongoing lawsuit. Lawyers confirmed they sent multiple unreturned emails to the US embassy in Equatorial Guinea alerting officials to ongoing threats and violence at the hotel.

A spokesperson for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated that the agency bears no responsibility for individuals once they are no longer in ICE custody, describing the destination as a safe third country while declining to address reports of violence. A State Department spokesperson stated that the US government utilizes all legal means to remove individuals lacking the right to remain in the country, declining to comment on diplomatic communications or whether any intervention regarding the treatment of deportees has occurred.