South Africa – Free Frik and Peter, November 05, 2024
The families of two detained South African engineers staged a peaceful protest outside Africa Energy Week (AEW) at the Cape Town International Convention Centre today. With government officials from Equatorial Guinea in attendance at the conference, the families are appealing for clemency and the release of the two men, who have been held for almost 21 months.
Peter Huxham, a dual UK-South African citizen, and Frik Potgieter, a South African, were arrested on trumped up drug trafficking charges in Equatorial Guinea just two days after South African courts seized the luxury super yacht belonging to Equatorial Guinea’s Vice President, Teodore Nguema Obiang Mangue, the President’s son. Earlier, the SA courts had also seized the Vice
President’s two luxury Cape Town villas (Clifton and Bishopscourt). These assets were impounded following a court ruling in SA on a separate matter, completely unrelated to Peter and Frik.
In July 2024, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention intervened, issuing an opinion declaring the men’s detention illegal and arbitrary, and calling for their immediate release. However, despite the UN’s formal opinion, Frik and Peter remain in jail.
Close to 21 months of imprisonment has taken its toll on the health and mental wellbeing of Frik and Peter. Both men, who suffer from chronic conditions, have lost significant weight, and the mental anguish of their unlawful detention has led to the prison authorities calling for urgent medical intervention.
“We are becoming increasingly concerned for Frik and Peter’s health and mental wellbeing. They’ve already endured so much suffering during these long months of imprisonment under extremely difficult conditions. Each day they remain in prison adds to their hardship and to the distress of our families, who have been separated from them without any meaningful
contact. We plead with the Government of Equatorial Guinea to show compassion and grant them clemency so they can come home to their families and rebuild their lives. Their release would mean everything to us; it would be a step toward healing the deep wound this has created in our lives,” says Kathy McConnachie, Peter’s life partner.
