Minority 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. Witnesses are reported to have seen them in Evinayong prison, some 500 km east of Malabo, but no official confirmation of their whereabouts has been given, AI said.

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 the majority.

According to AI, many of the prisoners were suffering from injuries received during their first few weeks of detention and were reportedly denied adequate medical treatment and sufficient food. 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. “Eight prisoners have already died as a result of torture and lack of medical care. This figure could increase rapidly unless the authorities urgently attend to medical needs and provide sufficient food,” the organisation added.

AI called on the authorities to confirm officially the whereabouts of the prisoners and take all measures to ensure they receive adequate food and medical care. In addition, it called on the government to allow human rights groups and humanitarian organisations access to the prisoners.