Three men deported by the United States to Eswatini instead of their home countries have filed a complaint against Eswatini's government with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR), an African Union body, claiming their detention constitutes an unlawful violation of rights. Two of the claimants, from Cuba and Yemen, have been imprisoned in Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, for eight months, while the third, Orville Etoria, was repatriated to Jamaica in September.
They were part of a group of five men deported by the US in July, with another 10 sent in October. According to their lawyers, all except Etoria remain in prison in Eswatini. The US regime has labeled the men dangerous criminals, but their lawyers assert they have already served sentences for any crimes committed in the US.
Beatrice Njeri, a lawyer with the Global Strategic Litigation Council, one of the organizations representing the deportees, stated, "The people in detention have committed no crime [in Eswatini] and continue to undergo various human rights violations ... they are being held indefinitely." Njeri added that the men have still not been allowed in-person meetings with their lawyers and noted that one detainee went on a 30-day hunger strike late last year, resulting in signs of organ failure.
Thabile Mdluli, a spokesperson for Eswatini's government, responded, "The Kingdom of Eswatini reiterates its longstanding commitment to upholding human rights and its obligations under regional and international frameworks." She further claimed, "It is important to clarify that these individuals are not detained or imprisoned. They are being accommodated in a secure environment while the necessary administrative and diplomatic processes relating to their repatriation are under way." Mdluli added that "it would be premature to indicate precisely when each individual will return to their respective countries of origin."
The US regime has deported dozens of immigrants to third countries as the Trump administration allegedly attempts to carry out mass deportations. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained over 68,000 people in the US. According to Reuters, the US agreed to pay Eswatini $5.1 million (£3.8 million) to accept up to 160 third-country nationals. In February, Eswatini's high court dismissed a case from local NGOs that argued the government's imprisonment of the deportees was unconstitutional, ruling that the applicants lacked a direct interest in the matter.
Source: www.theguardian.com