Transferred prisoners face uncertain future

The transfer of some 50 ethnic Bubi prisoners from the capital of Equatorial Guinea, Malabo, to an unknown destination is likely to further endanger their physical and mental well-being, Amnesty International (AI) said in a news release on Monday. The prisoners, who were sentenced to jail by a military court in May 1998 for allegedly attacking military barracks, were transferred by boat from their prison on Bioko Island, where the capital is located, to the continental part of the country. The Bubi, the original inhabitants of Bioko, are a minority in Equatorial Guinea, most of whose people are of the Fang ethnic group. On Bioko, however, the Bubi are in the majority. According to AI, Many prisoners depended on relatives for food and medicine. “The transfer away from Malabo makes it much more difficult for the families to bring medicine, food and moral support to the prisoners,” AI said.