The families of two South Africans, Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham, have again pleaded with the Equatorial Guinea government to release the men, who have been detained in the country for 670 days, in time for Christmas.

Potgieter and Huxham were arrested on fabricated charges in Equatorial Guinea on February 9, 2023.

The men were working for SBM Offshore at the time of their arrest. Potgieter and Huxham maintained an impeccable professional record in the oil and gas industry, in Equatorial Guinea and in other countries, their families say.

Huxham and Potgieter attended a trial on June 26 last year before being found guilty of illegal drug trafficking on June 29 last year. The court sentenced each of them to 12 years’ imprisonment in Equatorial Guinea.

Additionally, they were ordered to pay a R93.7-million penalty.

The matter is being appealed by the defendants’ lawyers.

The families have repeatedly said the men were arrested in retaliation for the South African government’s seizure of a superyacht and luxury properties in Cape Town, owned by the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, who is the President’s son.

The superyacht was reportedly seized by the South African courts just days before the two men were arrested.

The families of both engineers maintain that successful bilateral engagement between the governments of South Africa and Equatorial Guinea is the only way to release the unlawfully convicted men.

In the meantime, the mental and physical health of the men have deteriorated considerably, with both suffering from chronic health conditions and experiencing severe mental anguish.

On July 1 this year, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued a formal opinion declaring Potgieter and Huxham’s arrest and ongoing detention arbitrary and unlawful, and called for their immediate release. 

The South African and UK governments are also working to secure their release, but unfortunately with not much progress to date. 

On October 23, the South African Parliament adopted a unanimous motion, reaffirming South Africa’s commitment to human rights and international law, expressing support for the men’s families, and calling on South African authorities to take urgent action to secure the engineers' release.

“We are pleading with the government of Equatorial Guinea to show compassion and mercy in the true spirit of Christmas, and to immediately release the men,” says spokesperson for the Huxham family Francois Nigrini.

“We urge the South African and UK governments to seriously consult with their counterparts in Equatorial Guinea, to achieve the freedom of these men,” adds spokesperson for the Potgieter family Shaun Murphy.

More than 13 500 people have already signed a petition calling for the release of Huxham and Potgieter.