'We were tied and beaten relentlessly... till we bled'

When George* was being shuttled out of Malta back to his native Eritrea in the early hours of September 30, 2002, he was gripped by fear and felt nauseated.

He had evaded conscription and knew that the punishment awaiting him would be extremely harsh. On the aircraft he saw his life fading away.

Within days, his worst fears were realised. He was imprisoned, hung in the "helicopter" torture position and beaten relentlessly with sticks.

Just a year earlier, 24-year-old George was a second-year university student reading biology.

He was one of 223 Eritreans deported from Malta in 2002 and who claim to have been beaten and tortured upon their return.

In a highly critical report published on May 19, Amnesty International said that a number of Malta deportees had been persecuted upon their return.

Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg has now ordered an inquiry into whether the repatriation of the Eritreans was in line with government policy.

George is, thankfully, a free man currently living in Sweden after he managed to escape from prison.

Contacted yesterday, he recounted his story.

"During the half-semester, I became sick with malaria and had to stop my studies. The government insisted that all those who withdrew from university had to attend military training. Those who refused were imprisoned."

George would not accept the order - military training in Eritrea was a gruelling affair, which lasted years. Along with some others, he plucked up courage and started mapping his escape. His original destination was Italy but the rough seas landed him in Malta.

"When we arrived we were welcomed by soldiers and doctors and were asked about our background. We were then taken to different detention centres, about 50 in each room. It wasn't right. We weren't criminals. All we needed was help!" he protested.

George, as were others, was asked to complete a form to declare his status and told that if he declined to do so he would be deported. "We knew that the vast majority of a group of 130 other Eritreans that had entered Malta before us had their claims for refugee status turned down."

George claimed that the Refugee Commissioner informed him that Malta was too small and could therefore not take any more refugees. Of those repatriated, 170 decided not to apply for refugee status.

"At one point we told the authorities that we would be reconsidering our position." But in the dead of night, on September 30, his worst nightmare began to unfold.

"They (the soldiers) came while we were asleep, some of us were wearing the most basic clothing. They handcuffed us and rushed us to the airport. There were about two soldiers for every eight Eritreans. Of course, a good number of us started protesting but we got no sympathy from those accompanying us."

Upon their arrival in Eritrea, there were several government security officers in civilian clothing waiting for them, George said. He maintained that there were no family members or friends waiting at the airport, as some had claimed.

They were taken to an immigration office at the airport and urged to fill in a form, following which they were escorted to the infamous Adi Abeto prison.

"They asked us to remove our shoes and they took away all our possessions. We were locked up in a big room. Then we were interviewed one by one and they demanded to know why I had left Eritrea and why I refused to come back."

That was only the beginning.

"A few days later, we were tied in the 'helicopter' torture position and beaten relentlessly - on our backs, on our heads, till we bled. Others got the 'Jesus Christ' torture (a position resembling crucifixion)."

This dragged on for two-and-a-half months.

One day, 27 detainees who had been deported from Malta tried to escape. A guard spotted them and started shooting in their direction. One of them - 19-year-old Robel - was hit. "He was pleading for help but they left him on the ground bleeding. When he was finally taken to hospital an hour-and-a-half later, it was too late."

A number of the other escapees were shot and injured. As punishment, they were beaten with sticks and stones until they collapsed. Some of them were tied in the "helicopter" position for up to a month. Most were not treated for their injuries, he claimed.

"They even came to beat us, simply as a stark warning to us not to even think of escaping," George said.

In December 2002, all the detainees were transferred to a secret detention centre on Dahlak Island in the Red Sea, where they were subjected to forced labour. It was hell.

"Temperatures spiralled over 40°C and the conditions were incredible. We were packed like sardines into a room, to the extent that we didn't even have anywhere to stand."

Walta Haile, who had spent seven months in Malta, tried to commit suicide by tying his own hands and jumping into the sea. He got caught in the ship's propeller and his face was badly cut. He was taken out of the water and there was no news of him again. George believes he probably died.

From Dahlak, the inmates were transferred to another detention centre. One morning, about 10 of them plotted their escape.

"I was too tired with the beatings and I decided to play the card of a lifetime," George reminisced.

As they were taken to the bathrooms, they took advantage of the heavy rain and made their getaway as the guards were distracted. The soldiers soon noticed what was going on and started shooting in their direction.

"I ran like crazy. I wanted my life back and I gave it my best shot. Miraculously, I somehow managed to get out of sight."

George's aim was to go to neighbouring Sudan. He walked for days on end. He was lucky to find several generous people along the way that provided him with food or money. It took him three weeks on foot to reach his destination.

"I felt my life coming back to me. I tracked down the UNHCR officials who confirmed that I was one of those that had left from Malta."

After three weeks, and three separate interviews, George was recognised as a refugee. Arrangements were made to resettle him in Sweden.

"I am happy to have found freedom but I am still sorry for my friends that are still inside Eritrea," he said.

George estimates that between 150 and 160 of the Malta deportees were still being held in prison. He is aware that one to two were killed and at least eight have been permanently disfigured.

Asked whether he was resentful towards the Maltese government, George replied: "Of course I am! The Maltese government should have realised that we weren't bluffing, especially when we went on hunger strike. They should have given us the benefit of the doubt!"

* The name has been changed to protect his identity.

This interview was made possible through the help of Amnesty International.