Appeal filed over US deportees case

The eSwatini Litigation Centre, Mzwandile Masuku, the Swaziland Rural Women’s Assembly, and Melusi Simelane have submitted a Notice of Appeal to the Supreme Court of eSwatini, contesting the dismissal of their case – a High Court challenge to the US-eSwatini deportation agreement, which involves receiving third-country deportees in exchange for financial compensation. Legalbrief reports that the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, which is supporting the case, said on Thursday the Government of eSwatini announced the arrival of a third batch of four more deportees from the US, nationals of Somalia, Sudan and Tanzania, bringing the total number of people held in eSwatini prisons under this arrangement to at least 19. 'This latest development only heightens our concern. Despite having already served their sentences for crimes committed on US soil, these individuals remain imprisoned in eSwatini, held in a country to which they have no connection, with no clear legal status and no access to legal representation. We have consistently held that this agreement is unlawful. It was never presented to Parliament. Its full terms were never made public. Yet, it continues to be used to deport more individuals to eSwatini.’