Latest news with #UnitedNationsWorkingGrouponArbitraryDetention
Eyewitness News
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
2 SA men unlawfully detained in Equatorial Guinea return home after presidential pardon
JOHANNESBURG - Two South African men who were unlawfully detained in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea for more than two years have returned home following a presidential pardon. Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham were arrested by Equatorial Guinean police on 9 February 2023 on fabricated drug trafficking charges and were subsequently sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment. Minister of International Relations Ronald Lamola welcomed the two men home at Lanseria Airport in Johannesburg on Saturday night, following the pardon by the president of Equatorial Guinea. On the night of 9 February 2023, the two engineers, who were on a working trip, checked into their hotel in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, and were scheduled to return home to South Africa the next morning. But that evening, the men were separately summoned to the hotel reception, unaware that they were about to be arrested on fabricated drug trafficking charges. Unbeknownst to them, their arrest followed South Africa's seizure of luxury assets belonging to Equatorial Guinea's vice president. Just two days before the men were arrested, the South African courts had impounded the vice president's super yacht, and before this, South African courts had seized his two luxury villas in Cape Town. The seizures followed a court ruling on a separate matter unrelated to the two men. Since their arrest, the South African government had engaged through diplomatic channels, including sending special envoys to secure their release on humanitarian grounds. In July 2024, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that the imprisonment of Potgieter and Huxham was arbitrary, unlawful, and a breach of multiple international human rights obligations and called for their immediate release. 'After two years and four months of unlawful detention, Frik and Peter are finally home,' said the families' spokesperson, Shaun Murphy. 'This brings to an end a long and painful ordeal, one marked by anguish, uncertainty and tireless efforts by so many to secure their freedom.'
The Citizen
22-06-2025
- The Citizen
Free after 2 years in foreign prison: SA engineers back on home soil
After enduring more than two harrowing years behind bars in Equatorial Guinea, Frik Potgieter, from George, and Langebaan resident Peter Huxham have finally returned to South African soil. The two men, who were detained in Equatorial Guinea on 9 February 2023, have returned safely to South African soil following a presidential pardon granted by the President of Equatorial Guinea. Their families confirmed their release last night (21 June). 'This brings an end to an ordeal of anguish, uncertainty and unwavering efforts by many to secure their freedom,' said family spokespersons Shaun Murphy and Francois Nigrini. 'We are overwhelmed with relief and joy. The last two years and four months have been unimaginably painful for both our families. Today, we are finally able to say: Frik and Peter are safely back home,' the families' spokespersons said. Shock after drug charges Potgieter and Huxham are both engineers who were working for the Dutch company SBM Offshore in Equatorial Guinea when they were arrested at their hotel in Malabo on drug-related charges after it was alleged that a cocaine shipment was discovered on the same international flight the men were on. They were convicted and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment. In addition, they were ordered to pay $5M USD (R93,7m at the time of publishing) each in damages, with additional fines to be shared between them. Potgieter and Huxham vehemently denied all charges from the outset and were shocked that any allegations related to drugs would be brought against them. Their arrest in 2023 came two days after the high court in Cape Town authorised the attachment of a R300m superyacht, Blue Shadow, owned by Equatorial Guinea's vice-president Teodorin Nguema Obiang. The court order related to civil matter between Obiang and another South African. The long fight for freedom In July 2024, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that the Potgieter and Huxham's imprisonment was unlawful and violated numerous international human rights obligations. The UN also called for their immediate release at the time. The families expressed deep gratitude to all those who supported them throughout the ordeal. This includes Frik and Peter's employer, SBM Offshore; the South African and UK governments; international diplomatic partners; parliamentarians; legal teams; Hostage International; civil society organisations; and members of the media. They also extended their thanks to former Minister of International Relations, Dr Naledi Pandor, and current minister Ronald Lamola, who both travelled to Equatorial Guinea as presidential envoys on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa. Thousands of individuals across the globe signed petitions, supported media advocacy campaigns, offered emotional support and kept the families in their thoughts and prayers. 'Their return home is the result of collective efforts over many, many months, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who played a role in securing their freedom,' said the families. 'This has been a long and difficult journey. We want to thank every person who stood with us – your support carried us through our darkest moments.' The families have now asked for privacy as the men begin the process of recovery and healing. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The South African
22-06-2025
- Politics
- The South African
SA engineers detained in Equatorial Guinea back home
The families of Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham have confirmed that the two South African engineers, who had been unlawfully detained in Equatorial Guinea since 9 February 2023, have been released and are safely home on South African soil. A family statement mentioned that their release follows a pardon from the President of Equatorial Guinea – for which the families are extremely grateful. This brings an end to a harrowing ordeal of anguish, uncertainty, and unwavering efforts by many to secure their freedom. When South Africans connect, we don't just network; we build a community. The Lekker Network is a professional network where every conversation starts with, 'How can I help you?' Come join us & be a part of a community of extraordinary Saffas. In July 2024, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that their imprisonment was arbitrary, unlawful, and in breach of multiple international human rights obligations. The UN also, at the time, called for their immediate release. 'We are overwhelmed with relief and joy. The last two years and four months have been unimaginably painful for both of our families. Today, we are finally able to say: Frik and Peter are safely back home,' said family spokespersons Shaun Murphy and Francois Nigrini. The families expressed their deepest appreciation to everyone who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, including Potgieter and Huxham's employer (SBM Offshore), the South African and UK governments, international diplomatic partners, parliamentarians, legal teams, Hostage International and other civil society organisations, and the media. They are also grateful to former Minister of International Relations, Naledi Pandor, and the current Minister, Ronald Lamola, who visited Equatorial Guinea as envoys for the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa. They also thanked the tens of thousands of individuals worldwide who signed petitions, supported media advocacy, offered emotional support and prayed for their safe return. 'Their return home is the result of collective efforts over many, many months, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who played a role in securing their freedom. 'This has been a long and difficult journey. We want to thank every person who stood with us; your support carried us through our darkest moments. We now respectfully ask for privacy and space as Frik, Peter and their families begin the journey of healing,' the families said. Post your 'welcome home' messages below, by … Leaving a comment below, or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
DW
05-06-2025
- Politics
- DW
#FreeAlaa: Will hunger strikes release Alaa Abdel-Fattah? – DW – 06/05/2025
A new UN report, the UK and human rights organizations call for the release of Egypt's most prominent detainee. After around 250 days of hunger strike, Alaa Abdel-Fattah's mother is in a life-threatening condition. Calls for the release of the 43-year-old Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah are gaining momentum again. This week, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, or UNWGAD, stated that Abdel-Fattah's continued imprisonment in Egypt is illegal. Following an 18-month investigation, the group argued that no warrant or explanation was present at the time of the arrest, and that Abdel-Fattah was imprisoned for exercising his freedom of expression — a legal right in Egypt. The report concludes with the call on the Egyptian government "to take the steps necessary to remedy the situation without delay…to release Abdel-Fattah immediately and accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law." Cairo is yet to comment on the ruling, but for Abdel-Fattah's family, who is based in London, the report comes "at an important moment," Omar Hamilton, Abdel-Fattah's cousin, told DW. Abdel-Fattah's mother, Leila Soueif, has been on hunger strike in support of her son's release for around 250 days. This week, the health of the 69-year-old British citizen deteriorated massively. "Our family is in the hospital every day," Hamilton told DW. "While we're doing what we can to keep her as comfortable as possible, she is mentally very strong and very determined." Last week, Leila Soueif was admitted to hospital in London after reaching life-threateningly low blood sugar levels Image: #FreeAlaa Last week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer ramped up his support as well. Starmer phoned Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi for the second time this year to discuss the situation of Alaa Abdel-Fattah who has been a British citizen since 2022. Starmer called for clemency and said that the Egyptian government was causing the family great anguish. Neither further details, nor the Egyptian reaction were published. According to the British newspaper The Guardian, a diplomatic source said that Egypt doesn't recognize Abdel-Fattah's dual citizenship. The activist has been imprisoned for around a decade. In 2015, he was sentenced to five years for participating in a 2013 protest. In September 2019, he was rearrested during a widespread crackdown on political dissent. and handed a five-year sentence for "spreading false news" in December 2021. Instead of releasing him in September 2024 at the end of his sentence if you count his pretrial detention, authorities ordered to keep him in prison until January 3, 2027. They argued that the two years he spent in pretrial detention are not to be counted toward his sentence, even though the time span exceeded Egypt's legal pretrial length. Abdel-Fattah has also started a hunger strike himself some 100 days ago. 'Time is running out' for activist's mother In addition to the latest report by the UN and the support by Starmer, scores of human rights organizations, too, have restarted campaigning for Abdel-Fattah's release, on social media at #FreeAlaa and politically. Earlier this week, 21 rights organizations, including English PEN and Human Rights Watch, sent ajoint letter to Egyptian President el-Sissi. One of the signatories, Yasmine Ahmed, UK Director at Human Rights Watch, told DW that "time is running out." "The prominent writer and activist has been detained in Egypt unlawfully for over a decade as his mother Leila faces an imminent risk of death in a hospital in London," she said. "The UK government must use every point of political and diplomatic leverage they have to push Egypt to release the British citizen Alaa Abdel-Fattah." While Abdel-Fattah may be the most prominent political prisoner in Egypt, he is far from the only one. Rights organizations estimate that between 65,000 and 70,000 political prisoners are kept behind bars. Officially, though, Egypt has never stated a number and ranks most of these prisoners as "terrorists." Meanwhile, the latest report by Egypt's National Council for Human Rights, which was installed in 2003 to further Egypt's national human rights strategy, stated "notable progress " on civil and political rights for the period of June 2023 to June 2024. "Nevertheless, several human rights issues persist and require intensified efforts and expedited action to overcome the associated challenges," the report states. Egypt's National Council on Human Rights admitted that rights issues persist under President el-Sisi's rule Image: Hadi Mizban/REUTERS Dire rights situation in Egypt For Christian Achrainer, a researcher at Denmark's Roskilde University who has extensively published on Egypt, these words of progress and calls for intensified efforts sound hollow. "The human rights situation in Egypt has not changed much, it is still very bad," he told DW. In his view, none of the governmental bodies that are tasked with improving the country's human rights situation have had a positive impact. "Slightly positive developments have been counteracted by other measures," Achrainer said. "Some political prisoners were released, while others were re-arrested." "In general, freedom of press and freedom of expression remain extremely restricted, and people continue to be imprisoned for expressing their opinions," Achrainer said. Egypt's political leverage Despite increasing international attention and calls for Abdel-Fattah's release, Egypt "is not impressed," Achrainer observes. "Cairo is fundamentally aware of its very good negotiating position with Europe at the moment," he explained. "The multi-billion Euro migration deal in 2024 clearly shows that Europe is prepared to look the other way on human rights issues if Egypt ensures that fewer refugees and migrants come to Europe." Also, Cairo's contacts with all parties to the conflict in Gaza, the fight against terrorism, economic interests and the potential role in conflict-ridden neighboring countries like Libya and Sudan boost Egypt's position as key player in the region. "All of this means that the regime knows that it is not forced to act in the case of [Abdel-Fattah] or in the area of human rights in general," Achrainer said. Leila Soueif's determination to continue her hunger strike until Alaa Abdel-Fattah is released remains undeterred, her nephew Omar Hamilton told DW. Image: Vuk Valcic/Zuma/picture alliance 'All political prisoners should be freed' Despite this dire rights situation, Egyptians have been submitting petitions and official telegrams to the presidency with their name and address on it asking for Abdel-Fattah's release, Omar Hamilton told DW. "And people all around the world hold vigils and protests," he added. Since Leila Soueif has been hospitalized last Thursday, Abdel-Fattah's family and supporters also gather daily in front of St Thomas' hospital in London. "There's an incredible amount of energy pouring in from around the world," Hamilton said. "And not only us, but all people believe that Alaa should be freed, actually that all the political prisoners should be freed." Abdel Fattah is one of many: Human rights activist Hossam Baghat To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Edited by: Carla Bleiker
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
UN panel says Egyptian dissident illegally detained, urges release
A UN panel of independent human rights investigators said that prominent Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah is illegally detained by Egyptian authorities and urged the government to release him immediately, his family said on Wednesday. Abdel-Fattah, a key figure in Egypt's 2011 anti-government uprising, was expected to be released from prison after his sentence ended in September, but he remains in custody in Egypt. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) said that Abdel-Fattah is arbitrarily detained and that Egyptian authorities have an obligation to release him immediately under international law, according to a legal opinion shared with his lawyers. The panel, which consists of five independent rights experts, "concluded that Alaa's continued imprisonment is arbitrary and illegal." "The UN Working Group has delivered a clear and unequivocal decision: Alaa Abdel-Fattah's detention is arbitrary and in breach of international law. Egypt is now obligated to release Alaa immediately," his lawyer, Can Yeğinsu, said in a statement. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomed the panel's decision and urged Egypt to respect it without further delay. Abdel-Fattah has been on hunger strike for nearly three months. His mother, Laila Soueif, has also been on hunger strike since September 29, the date his prison sentence was due to end. In 2013, Abdel-Fattah was arrested while protesting and jailed for five years. Months after his release, he was arrested again and sentenced to another five years in prison on charges of spreading fake news, an accusation his family dismisses as politically motivated. Egypt's rights record under incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi has drawn international criticism amid a crackdown on dissidents.
