Parliament backs calls for release of SA prisoners

SA's Parliament has backed calls for the release of two SA businessmen allegedly illegally imprisoned in Equatorial Guinea. A TimesLIVE report notes that this follows a move earlier this year by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention which came out in support of engineers Peter Huxham and Frik Potgieter, who have been incarcerated since February last year. They appear to be innocent victims in an ongoing legal battle over SA assets belonging to Equatorial Guinea Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue. In a unanimous decision, Parliament adopted a motion condemning the arrests and calling on the SA authorities to work towards their release. ‘The House reaffirms SA’s commitment to international law and human rights and supports efforts to ensure accountability for actions that violate the principles,’ read the motion. Shaun Murphy, spokesperson for the Potgieter family, said: ‘Parliament has effectively endorsed the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s formal opinion, issued in July, which concluded Peter and Frik’s arrests and ongoing detention are arbitrary and illegal, and called for their immediate release.’ The parliamentary motion was tabled by Emma Powell of the DA. Huxham and Potgieter, who worked in the offshore oil and gas industry, were arrested at a hotel and received 12-year sentences for drug smuggling, apparently linked to events beyond their control.