Cuban man deported from U.S. launches hunger strike in Eswatini prison
A Cuban man deported from the United States to Eswatini has begun a hunger strike in protest against his detention, his lawyer said on Wednesday.
Roberto Mosquera del Peral, one of five foreign nationals deported by the Trump administration in July, has been held in a maximum-security prison in the southern African kingdom since his arrival. Ten other deportees sent in October are reportedly being detained under similar circumstances, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Mosquera’s U.S.-based attorney, Alma David, said he began his hunger strike on October 15, calling his detention “arbitrary” and warning that his life is at risk.
U.S. officials have said that Mosquera and others deported to Eswatini were convicted criminals, but their lawyers argue that all had completed their sentences and are being unlawfully imprisoned.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security previously stated that Mosquera had been convicted of homicide, aggravated assault on a police officer, and aggravated battery. His attorney disputes that, saying he was convicted of attempted murder, not homicide, and had already served his time before deportation.
The Eswatini correctional services department declined immediate comment but said it was reviewing the matter. Local lawyers are continuing a legal battle to gain access to the detainees, which Eswatini authorities have so far refused.
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