Two South African engineers have returned dwelling after spending greater than two years in jail in Equatorial Guinea on what the UN has known as “arbitrary and unlawful” medication prices.
Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham, each of their mid-50s, have been arrested in February 2023 after medication have been allegedly discovered of their baggage.
They have been sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined $5m (£4m) however have been given a presidential pardon after an extended marketing campaign by their households and the South African authorities.
Their arrest got here days after luxurious belongings belonging to Equatorial Guinea’s Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang have been seized in South Africa.
A yacht and two Cape City villas belonging to Obiang, who can also be the son of Equatorial Guinea’s president, have been impounded in execution of a courtroom ruling.
“We’re overwhelmed with reduction and pleasure. The final two years and 4 months have been unimaginably painful for each of our households,” in keeping with a press release launched by the 2 males’s households.
They have been working for the Dutch oil and gasoline firm SBM in Equatorial Guinea after they arrested the night time earlier than they have been on account of return dwelling after a five-week stint within the nation.
The households had known as for the help of the South African authorities in addition to that of the UK authorities, as Mr Huxham has twin nationality.
“South Africa expresses its honest gratitude to the Authorities of Equatorial Guinea for contemplating and in the end granting this Presidential pardon, permitting Mr Huxham and Mr Potgieter to return dwelling to their family members,” mentioned a put up on X by South African Overseas Minister Ronald Lamola.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention final yr known as for the pair’s launch, saying their detention was illegal.
Their households say the pair have been arrested in retaliation for the seizure of the belongings belonging to Equatorial Guinea’s vice-president.
The BBC has contacted Equatorial Guinea for remark.
A South African official informed the BBC it was for the courts to resolve the destiny of the yacht and villas, and the federal government could not intervene.
Frik Potgieter (second proper) and Peter Huxham (second left) have been welcomed by family and friends, in addition to Overseas Minister Ronald Lamola (centre) [South African foreign ministry]
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