The men, who had been released after completing criminal sentences, are from Cuba, Jamaica and Yemen
Three men deported by the US to Eswatini – rather than their home countries – have filed a case against Eswatini’s government with the African Union’s human rights body, claiming their detention was an unlawful violation of their rights.
Two of the claimants, from Cuba and Yemen, have been in prison in Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, for eight months. The third, Orville Etoria, was repatriated to his home country, Jamaica, in September.
They were among a group of five men deported by the US in July, with another 10 sent in October. Other than Etoria, all remained in prison in Eswatini, their lawyers said. The US has labelled the men dangerous criminals but their lawyers said they have already served their sentences for any crimes committed in the US.
The men’s complaint was filed with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), an African Union body that monitors member states’ compliance with regional human rights agreements. The commission can demand that states uphold rights and refer cases to the African court on human and peoples’ rights, but neither body has enforcement powers.
