Potgieter, Huxham detention in Equatorial Guinea arbitrary, illegal – UN
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has weighed in on the continued incarceration of two South Africans in Equatorial Guinea.
The families of Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham, two engineers who were arrested in the central African country in February 2023 for alleged drug crimes, approached the UN body to try to secure their release.
Both families insist the men are victims of a political standoff between South Africa and Equatorial Guinea following the seizure of Vice President Teodoro Obiang's luxury assets.
Following a trial, which the family labeled “a sham”, Potgieter and Huxham were sentenced to 12 years imprisonment each.
They were said to be held in a prison reserved for political prisoners in Mongomo.
The spokesperson for the Potgieter family, Shaun Murphy, says the UN decision confirms what they have always said about the pair's detention.
“The detention is arbitrary, illegal, and is a gross violation of human rights. [They] have requested to the government of Equatorial Guinea that they remedy the situation soonest and get our guys released.”
Equatorial Guinea is a signatory to the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Last month, the two families handed over a petition with 5,000 signatures to the Pan-African Parliament.
Murphy says following the official visit by former international relations minister Naledi Pandor to the central African country in May, where she requested government leaders there to release the men, they hope now to engage her successor Ronald Lamola on the matter.
“We’d like to discuss with him what the government plans to do to secure their release and bring them back to their families.
“Regarding Minister Pandor; we know that she visited Equatorial Guinea and know that Peter and Frik were on the agenda. Unfortunately, we don’t know what came out of that meeting, we haven’t been briefed. Up to this stage, we don't know what Dirco is doing to try and secure their release.”
He says it’s been three months since they last spoke to the men, and they are gravely concerned over their health.
Murphy says they are trying all available channels to reach Potgieter and Huxham while calling on South Africans to sign their petition, and putting more pressure on authorities in both countries to ensure their release.
“We don’t know what condition they’re in at the moment or how healthy they are. Last time we had any contact with them we were informed that they lost between 25-30 kilograms. The diet that they have is very limited, their exercise and daylight time is very limited.”
Equatorial Guinea is home to some of the world's most infamous prisons, including Black Beach prison, in the capital Malabo.
Amnesty International has flagged allegations of human rights violations, including the disappearance of inmates at the prison.
