Two South African Engineers Return Home After Presidential Pardon in Equatorial Guinea

Two South African engineers, Peter Shane Huxham and Frederic Potgieter, were wrongfully arrested and sentenced to 12 years in prison on fabricated drug trafficking charges in Equatorial Guinea in February 2023. Their arrest coincided with South Africa’s seizure of luxury assets belonging to Equatorial Guinea’s Vice President, linking the two incidents. After more than two years of detention and international diplomatic efforts, including interventions by the South African government and a United Nations ruling deeming their imprisonment arbitrary and unlawful, the President of Equatorial Guinea granted them a presidential pardon. The men were finally released and returned to South Africa, where they were welcomed by Minister of International Relations Ronald Lamola and their families. The South African government expressed relief and gratitude to Equatorial Guinea for granting clemency and providing consular access during the ordeal. The case highlights the complexities of international diplomacy and human rights in situations involving wrongful detention.