South African ‘state hostages’ released after two years
- Frederik Potgieter and Peter Huxham unlawfully detained since February 2023
- Presidential pardon follows long campaign by their families and the South African government
Two FPSO engineers jailed in Equatorial Guinea on bogus drugs charges have returned home after being pardoned, a spokesperson for their families said
TWO South African floating production, storage and offloading vessel engineers held as “state hostages” by Equatorial Guinea for more than two years are home safe following a presidential pardon.
Frederik Potgieter and Peter Huxham, both in their mid-50s, were arrested on bogus drugs charges in February 2023. A UN group called their detention arbitrary and illegal.
Their families confirmed they were home safely on Saturday, June 21.
“We are overwhelmed with relief and joy,” spokespersons Shaun Murphy and Francois Nigrini said.
“The last two years and four months have been unimaginably painful for both of our families.
“Today we are finally able to say: Frik and Peter are safely back home.”
The two men had worked on FPSO vessels for Dutch firm SBM Production Contractors, a subsidiary of SBM Offshore, when they were arrested and sentenced to 12 years in prison after a three-hour trial.
The case was widely seen as retaliation by Equatorial Guinea’s regime against South Africa for seizing two palatial homes and a superyacht belonging to the president’s son.
Oil-rich Equatorial Guinea’s president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has been described by rights groups as one of Africa’s most brutal dictators.
The country has a long history of corruption and political detentions and no separation of state powers.
Maritime lawyer Stephen Askins has said the taking of state hostages in the maritime sector was becoming more common but had little media attention.
