Two men deported by the United States to Equatorial Guinea were arrested after police allegedly covered their heads, beat them and held them at gunpoint at Hotel Bamy, a detention site outside Malabo, lawyers and rights groups said on Sept. 18. Ahmed Soliman, an Egyptian national, and Samson Birhane, from Eritrea, were later taken to prison. Witnesses told the Guardian that the men were bound, pushed down stairs and assaulted in view of other deportees [abcnews.com][theguardian.com]. Lawyers believe the arrests followed the men’s efforts to publicize poor conditions and alleged police violence at the hotel. About 30 detainees remain there, according to the Guardian [theguardian.com]. Soliman’s lawyer told Reuters that he had been held for a week at a gendarmerie station without access to his attorneys over allegations that he broke an elevator mirror, which the lawyer called a pretext [newarab.com]. Highlights: • Legal access: Soliman was held at La Luna gendarmerie station, where rights groups say human rights activists have previously been detained [newarab.com]. Perspectives: Human rights advocates: They have warned for months that conditions at Hotel Bamy are dangerous, before the latest arrests. (The Guardian) U.S. government: Washington has defended the third-country arrangements as lawful and said deportations are conducted in accordance with U.S. immigration law. (The New Arab) Equatorial Guinea government: The government spokesman and the country’s embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment about Soliman’s detention. (The New Arab) Sources: • US deportees to Equatorial Guinea were arrested and beaten by police, lawyers say - abcnews.com • A Central African Hotel Has Become a Nightmare Prison for U.S. Deportees... Witnesses say men were hooded and beaten in Equatorial Guinea. The autocratic government there is a partner in President Trump’s deportation program. - reddit.com • Men deported from US bound and beaten in Equatorial Guinea detention hotel, lawyers say - theguardian.com • A Central African Hotel Has Become a Nightmare Prison for U.S. Deportees - nytimes.com • Egyptian deported by US to Equatorial Guinea held incommunicado - newarab.com --- 📰 Story aggregated by Kagi News