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Lawyers allege US deportees were beaten at Equatorial Guinea detention facility

Two men expelled under a bilateral pact were reportedly bound and struck following mirror damage accusations

Updated Sep 19, 2026 · 02:15 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • Rights groups and legal counsel report that police in Equatorial Guinea assaulted Ahmed Soliman and Samson Birhane, two men expelled from the United States, at a hotel converted into a detention facility.[The Guardian · ABC News]
  • Lawyers and Amnesty International state the physical violence and subsequent detention were retaliatory acts triggered by the men speaking out against harsh conditions and deportation pressures.[The Guardian · ABC News]
  • The pair was subsequently removed from the hotel compound to a police station or prison, cutting off communication with their legal representatives.[The Guardian · ABC News]
  • The bilateral agreement involved a $7.5 million payment to Equatorial Guinea, which advocates say has already seen at least 12 deportees transferred back to home nations where they risk persecution.[The Guardian · ABC News]

Key facts

  • Egyptian national Ahmed Soliman and Eritrean national Samson Birhane were arrested by police on September 11 after being accused of breaking a mirror.[The Guardian · ABC News]
  • Witnesses and attorneys reported that officers placed bags over the men's heads, bound them, beat them, and pushed them down stairs in view of fellow detainees.[The Guardian · ABC News]
  • Equatorial Guinea accepted a $7.5 million payment under an arrangement to accept people deported from the United States.[The Guardian · ABC News]
  • Lawyers assert that Equatorial Guinea has returned at least 12 deported individuals to their countries of origin where they face persecution.[The Guardian · ABC News]

What remains uncertain

  • The precise location of the two men remains uncertain, with reports differing between a prison in Malabo and the La Luna police station, while lawyers have been unable to reach them.[The Guardian · ABC News]
  • The exact number of US deportees housed at the Bamy Hotel varies between roughly 30 remaining individuals and over 40 sent overall under the deportation arrangement.[The Guardian · ABC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.