Judge fails to appear for court hearing in Eswatini over 4 men deported by the US

MBABANE, Eswatini (AP) — A judge failed to appear for a scheduled court hearing in Eswatini on Thursday over the continued detention of four men deported by the United States to the southern African kingdom.

The case was brought by several non-profit organizations that have challenged the legality of holding the men from Cuba, Laos, Vietnam and Yemen without charges. The four were deported to Eswatini in mid-July under the Trump administration’s third-country deportation program.

The four men have been denied access to legal counsel while being held at the country’s top maximum-security prison for more than two months, their U.S.-based lawyers have said.

No reason was given for Judge Titus Mlangeni’s absence.

Zakhithi Sibandze, national coordinator for the Swaziland Rural Women’s Assembly — one of the non-profit organizations — accused the Eswatini authorities of using delaying tactics to avoid criticism over the case.

U.S. authorities originally deported five men to Eswatini. One of them, a Jamaican national, was repatriated to his home country last weekend.

The U.S. has deported more than 30 people to several countries in Africa since July under the new program. U.S. authorities described the five sent to Eswatini as dangerous criminals who served sentences for crimes including murder.

International rights groups have criticized the deportations for sending migrants to third countries where they could be denied due process by repressive governments.

Eswatini, a small country bordering South Africa, is one of the world’s last absolute monarchies and the king rules by decree. A second case brought by a lawyer seeking to provide legal counsel for the deportees has also been repeatedly delayed.

The U.S. has said it wants to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Eswatini.

Eswatini government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli said she wouldn’t comment on an ongoing case.

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa