Men Deported From US to Equatorial Guinea Allegedly Bound and Beaten in Detention Hotel

Two men deported from the United States to Equatorial Guinea were bound, had bags placed over their heads, were beaten and pushed down a flight of stairs in view of other deportees, according to witnesses and human rights lawyers cited by The Guardian.

The men, one from Egypt and one from Eritrea, were subsequently taken to a prison, the lawyers said. Their exact whereabouts and condition afterward were not detailed in the account.

About 30 people deported from the US remain confined at the Hotel Bamy on the outskirts of Malabo, the coastal capital of Equatorial Guinea, after being expelled under the Trump administration's removal policies, according to the report.

Detainees told rights advocates they believe the two men were assaulted for speaking to journalists and human rights groups about conditions inside the hotel, which they described as poor, and about violence occurring there.

Witnesses said other detainees at the facility have experienced flashbacks since the incident and are fearful of facing similar retaliation.

Human rights lawyers have raised alarm over the treatment of the group and the conditions under which they are being held, according to the account relayed to The Guardian.

The Guardian's report does not indicate that Equatorial Guinean authorities, the US government, or hotel operators have publicly responded to the allegations.