Washington, DC / Banjul / Malabo, 8 July 2026 — The Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), EGJustice, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta (Advancing Justice-Atlanta), and the Global Strategic Litigation Council (GSLC) express concern over the alarming reports of deteriorating health and humanitarian conditions facing third-country nationals arbitrarily detained by the Government of Equatorial Guinea in Malabo following deportation from theUnited States.
The coalition has received multiple reports that individuals with serious medical conditions are being denied adequate medical care while detained in government custody. These reports informed legal action that the coalition brought against the Government before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on 5June, aimed at securing remedies for rights violations, stopping deportations and ensuring humane treatment and protection of the rights of those who have already been deported to Equatorial Guinea. The organisations have since received new, disturbing reports from multiple individuals highlighting the failure of the state to meet the healthcare needs of those detained.
The organizations have also received disturbing reports from multiple detained individuals that a person with a suspected case of Ebola was recently brought under quarantine into the same hotel complex where they are being held. According to these reports, personnel wearing full protective equipment transported the individual into the facility.
Detained persons reported they were provided with no masks, disinfectants, or other basic protective supplies for several days after the patient’s arrival, nor informed of any measures to reduce the risk of exposure to infectious disease.
These reports add to months of documented concerns regarding inadequate medical care, prolonged arbitrary detention, severe psychological distress, uncertainty over detained individuals’ legal status, and the continued denial of independent monitoring and legal assistance.
"When the Government agreed to accept people deported as part of the Trump Administration mass deportation policy, they triggered a duty to safeguard their rights," said Beatrice Njeri, Regional Litigator for Africa at the Global Strategic Litigation Council. "The ongoing illegal and arbitrary detention of our clients, denial of adequate medical care, and possible exposure to highly contagious disease, constitute grave violations of international human rights law."
The coalition stresses that mental health is a human right. Prolonged detention, isolation, fear of refoulement, separation from family ,and uncertainty can cause profound psychological harm, particularly for individuals already living with trauma or mental illness.
"No one should have to wonder whether they will receive insulin, HIV medication, epilepsy treatment, or psychological care while in government custody," said Tutu Alicante, from EG Justice. "Respect for human dignity requires more than keeping people alive. It requires ensuring they receive the medical care and humane treatment that every person deserves."
International human rights law—including the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Socialand Cultural Rights, and the UN Mandela Rules — requires that all persons deprived of their liberty receive timely and appropriate medical care equivalent to that available to the general population.
The coalition calls on the Government of Equatorial Guinea to:
● Grant immediate access to independent medical professionals to assess every detained person.
● Ensure uninterrupted treatment for detained persons living with chronic illnesses and mental health conditions.
● Publicly clarify the reported quarantine situation and implement all appropriate public health measures.
● Immediately provide detained persons with essential hygiene and protective supplies.
● End the arbitrary detention of these individuals and ensure full compliance with international human rights and refugee law.
There are currently 4 women and 13 men from countries such as Angola, Jamaica, Mauritania or Ethiopia deported from the US. The first flight arrived on 24 November 2025 and the latest on 18 June 2026. All of these individuals had protection in the US, and at least 9 of them have spent more than 10 years legally residing in the US before their deportation to EquatorialGuinea, where they are being pressured to accept being deported to their home country.
No person's immigration status diminishes their right to life, health, dignity, or humane treatment. Every day that passes without adequate medical care increases the risk of irreversible harm.
The coalition urges the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, the African Union, the United Nations, the US Embassy inMalabo and other relevant international actors to intervene without delay to safeguard the lives and well-being of those detained.
Press contacts:
Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta - jwoo@advancingjustice-atlanta.org
Global Strategic Litigation Council - laura@global-council.org (+44 7738 935096); beatrice@global-council.org (+254 720 230206)
Equatorial Guinea Justice - tutu@egjustice.org (+1 (615) 479-0207)
Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa - mjallow@ihrda.org (+34 608 919 919)
Pan African Lawyers Union - mhoza@lawyersofafrica.org