Two South African engineers have returned home after spending more than two years in prison in Equatorial Guinea on drug-related charges that the United Nations described as “arbitrary and unlawful.”

Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham, both in their 50s, were arrested in February 2023 after authorities allegedly found drugs in their luggage. They were later sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined $5 million (Sh648 million).

However, after continuous lobbying by their families and the South African government, they were granted a presidential pardon and released.

Their arrest followed the seizure of luxury assets in South Africa belonging to Equatorial Guinea’s Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang, including a yacht and two villas in Cape Town.

Obiang, the son of the president, had his properties confiscated following a court ruling.

In a statement shared by the families, the emotional toll of their imprisonment was clear: “We are beyond relieved and overjoyed.

The past two years and four months have been deeply traumatic for both families.”

At the time of their arrest, Potgieter and Huxham were employed by Dutch oil and gas company SBM and had just completed a five-week assignment in Equatorial Guinea.

They were arrested one day before they were scheduled to return home.

The families had sought support from both the South African and UK governments, as Huxham holds dual citizenship.

South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola posted a message of gratitude on X (formerly Twitter): “We sincerely thank the Government of Equatorial Guinea for their compassion and for ultimately granting the presidential pardon that has reunited Huxham and Potgieter with their loved ones.”

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had previously demanded their release, saying the imprisonment was unlawful.

The families have maintained that the arrests were a form of retaliation following the seizure of Obiang’s assets in South Africa.

The BBC has reached out to Equatorial Guinea’s government for comment.

Meanwhile, a South African official told the broadcaster that the future of the confiscated yacht and villas is now a matter for the courts, not the government.