CIVIC ACTION TOOL

Free Ahmed Soliman and Samson Birhane.

Ahmed Soliman and Samson Birhane are two men deported by the United States to Equatorial Guinea — a country they have no connection to. They were hooded, bound, beaten with guns, and shoved down a flight of stairs by Equatorial Guinean police officers, and are now being held without access to their attorneys. This tool helps you call and write to public officials.

Take action Learn More

Ahmed Soliman in the United States before his deportation to Equatorial Guinea.

Ahmed Soliman, in the white shirt and on his knees, is surrounded by Equatorial Guinean security forces, one of whom points a firearm at him, at the hotel where he and other deportees were confined following their deportation from the United States.

We're asking you to take two actions:

Call and email your members of Congress
Email Equatorial Guinean contacts

Take action

1. Contact your members of Congress

Who you are

Used to look up your members of Congress and to sign your draft email. Nothing is uploaded or saved to a server.

First name

Last name

Street address (optional)

City

State

ZIP

RequiredWe need your address to find your members of Congress.

Call your members of Congress

A phone call from a constituent carries more weight than an email. Call each office, read the script below, and tick them off as you go.

This step is required. Enter your address above and press "Find my representatives" — their office phone numbers will appear here.

Call script

Hi, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I’m a constituent from [CITY, STATE] [ZIP CODE].

I’m calling about Ahmed Soliman and Samson Birhane, two men deported by the United States to Equatorial Guinea, a country they have no connection to. They were hooded, bound, beaten with guns, and shoved down a flight of stairs by Equatorial Guinean police. They have now been detained for approximately a week without access to their attorneys.

Ahmed is a 30-year-old man who came to the United States from Egypt when he was four years old and grew up in Arizona, later becoming a lawful permanent resident. Samson came to the United States from Eritrea as a refugee when he was 13 and also later became a lawful permanent resident. Immigration judges had ruled that neither man could be returned to his country of origin because of the risk of persecution or torture. Both were subsequently deported to Equatorial Guinea.

After Ahmed spoke publicly about the treatment of deportees, including an incident in which Equatorial Guinean security forces pointed firearms at him and others, he was arrested along with Samson on September 11. They are now being held at an overcrowded detention center in Malabo, and their attorneys have been unable to meet with them.

I’m asking the office to do three things:

One — directly press the government of Equatorial Guinea to immediately release Ahmed and Samson, inform them of any charges against them, and ensure they have unimpeded access to their attorneys.

Two — directly press Equatorial Guinean authorities to stop any abuse, threats, intimidation, or retaliation against Ahmed, Samson, or any other people transferred from the United States, including retaliation for speaking to journalists or reporting mistreatment. The government should also stop any efforts to coerce deportees into agreeing to return to their countries of origin.

Three — use the office’s congressional and diplomatic authority to ensure the State Department raises this case directly with the Equatorial Guinean government.

The United States sent Ahmed and Samson to Equatorial Guinea. I’m asking this office to use every appropriate diplomatic channel to ensure they are not subjected to further abuse or retaliation.

Thank you for your time.

Edit it freely — it stays in your browser. If you reach voicemail, leave the same message with your name and ZIP code.

Email your members of Congress

The greeting line ("Dear Senator/Representative …") is personalized for each recipient automatically when the email opens.

Subject

Message

I am writing to urge your office to take immediate action to protect Ahmed Soliman and Samson Birhane, two men deported by the United States to Equatorial Guinea — a country they have no connection to. They were hooded, bound, beaten with guns, and shoved down a flight of stairs by Equatorial Guinean police officers and are now being held without access to their attorneys. Ahmed and Samson have been detained for approximately a week, and their lawyers have been unable to meet with them or ensure their safety and well-being.

Ahmed Soliman is a 30-year-old Egyptian man that came to the United States when he was four years old, later becoming a permanent resident. He grew up in Arizona and spent virtually his entire life there. Samson Birhane is an Eritrean man who came to the United States as a refugee when he was 13 years old. He later became a lawful permanent resident and built his life in the United States. Immigration judges had ruled that neither could be returned to his country of origin because of the risk of persecution or torture.

The United States subsequently deported Ahmed and Samson to Equatorial Guinea. They were then detained in a decommissioned hotel for months in Malabo with other deportees.

Earlier this month, Ahmed spoke publicly about the conditions at the hotel, including an incident in which Equatorial Guinean security forces pointed firearms at him and other deportees. Video of the incident was subsequently reported by journalists.

On September 11, Ahmed was arrested along with Samson. Amnesty International and the New York Times report that police covered the men's heads with bags and beat them on their heads, backs, and ribs. They were reportedly accused of breaking a mirror in a hotel elevator. Ahmed's lawyer has said that the allegation was a pretext and that she believes his arrest was retaliation for speaking publicly and for the release of a video showing security forces pointing guns at deportees.

For the last week, Ahmed and Samson have been held at an overcrowded detention center in Malabo without access to their attorneys. Equatorial Guinean authorities have not explained the basis for their continued detention or confirmed the charges against them.

I urge your office to directly press the government of Equatorial Guinea to:

1. Ensure that Ahmed Soliman and Samson Birhane are immediately released, informed of any charges against them, and allowed unimpeded access to counsel.

2. Ensure that Ahmed, Samson, and all people transferred from the United States to Equatorial Guinea are protected from abuse, threats, intimidation, and retaliation, including retaliation for speaking to journalists, reporting mistreatment, or protesting their conditions.

3. End any efforts to coerce people transferred from the United States into agreeing to return to their countries of origin, including through threats or intimidation.

I additionally urge you to use the office’s congressional and diplomatic authority to ensure the State Department raises this case directly with the Equatorial Guinean government.

The United States sent Ahmed and Samson to Equatorial Guinea. Congress should use its diplomatic and oversight authority to ensure that the government that received them does not hold them incommunicado, deny them access to counsel, or subject them to abuse or retaliation.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

[NAME]
[CITY, STATE]
[ZIP CODE]

Choose email recipients

Messages are opened one recipient at a time — never a mass CC or BCC.

This step is required. Enter your address above and press "Find my representatives" — your two senators and House member will appear here so you can email them.

2. Email Equatorial Guinean Contacts

A final, separate message — this one goes to officials in Equatorial Guinea itself, not to your representatives. It opens in your own mailbox, and you press Send.

To: vicepressorg@gmail.com,secretary@egembassydc.com,info@egembassydc.com,info@guineaecuatorialpress.com

vicepressorg@gmail.com (Vice President)
secretary@egembassydc.com (Embassy of Equatorial Guinea — Ambassador’s Office)
info@egembassydc.com (Embassy of Equatorial Guinea — General Information)
info@guineaecuatorialpress.com (Information and Press Office)

Subject

Message

Dear all,

I am writing to urge the government of Equatorial Guinea to take immediate action to release and protect Ahmed Soliman and Samson Birhane, two men deported by the United States to Equatorial Guinea. They were hooded, bound, beaten with guns, and shoved down a flight of stairs by Equatorial Guinean police officers, and are now being held at the La Luna gendarmerie station in Malabo without access to their attorneys. Ahmed and Samson have not been informed of the charges against them, and their lawyers have been unable to meet with them or confirm their safety and well-being.

Ahmed Soliman and Samson Birhane were previously granted protection from refoulement to their countries of origin by U.S. immigration courts. Despite this, police officers and guards in Equatorial Guinea have subjected them to repeated threats and ill-treatment, to ultimately force them to accept returning to their countries of origin. Neither of the two men can be returned to their countries of origin, and forcing them back would breach Equatorial Guinea’s international obligations.

I urge you to ensure Ahmed Soliman and Samson Birhane are immediately released, informed of any charges against them and allowed unimpeded access to counsel. I also urge you to stop the threats and intimidation of coercing anyone transferred from the U.S. to Equatorial Guinea to agree to return to their country of origin, and to refrain from any reprisals against individuals for reporting and protesting their treatment in the country.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

[NAME]

Open this message in your mailbox:

I sent this email

The New York Times — September 18, 2026
U.S. Deportees Held in Equatorial Guinea Hotel
Amnesty International — September 18, 2026
Equatorial Guinea: Risk of torture for unlawfully detained men: Ahmed Soliman and Samson Birhane
Reuters — September 11, 2026
Deportee to Equatorial Guinea who criticised police tactics taken into custody
The American Prospect — September 11, 2026
Immigrant Trump sent to African hotel prison arrested after speaking with media
Arizona Daily Star — August 2, 2026
Arizona man languishes in African hotel after third-country deportation
Reuters — September 8, 2026
Equatorial Guinea police pull guns on migrants deported by Trump, witnesses say