Plea to free SA engineers locked up in central Africa
The families of South African engineers Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham are pleading with the government of Equatorial Guinea to release them in time for Christmas.
Potgieter and Huxham have been imprisoned in the central African country for nearly two years.
They had been working at an oil rig there for over a decade when they were arrested early last year and handed 12-year jail sentences and a fine for what prosecutors alleged were drugs found in their luggage.
The United Nations has called their detention arbitrary and unlawful.
The two men's families are urging compassion, saying their release would bring hope and healing this festive season.
READ: Petition to help free South Africans jailed in Equatorial Guinea
Spokesperson Shaun Murphy hopes this Christmas will mark their reunion after nearly two years apart.
"Over the past 670 days in unlawful detention, their physical and mental health has deteriorated significantly with both men suffering from chronic conditions severe weight loss and profound mental anguish.
"While the South African and UK governments have been working on the case, progress has been limited. As their families, we are begging for compassion and mercy during this period."
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