Pope Leo has strongly condemned the living conditions in Equatorial Guinea prisons as part of his four-nation African tour. Speaking before a vast crowd of approximately 100,000 worshippers on Wednesday, April 22, the pontiff turned his attention to the plight of inmates in the oil-rich Central African state.
'My thoughts go to the poorest, to families experiencing difficulty and to prisoners who are often forced to live in troubling, hygienic and sanitary conditions,' he said. The Pope emphasized the need for justice to promote human dignity. 'To be effective, however, it must always promote the dignity of every person,' he told hundreds of inmates gathered in the prison courtyard, encouraging them not to despair.
'You are not alone,' the pontiff said. 'Your families love you and are waiting for you. Many people outside these walls are praying for you,' he added. When he left, the prisoners, who had been drenched in the rain, shouted 'freedom.'
The Pope's remarks came as he concluded his four-nation tour of Africa, with Equatorial Guinea marking his final stop. After meeting the inmates, the Pope visited a memorial for victims of an explosion at a military base in 2021, which killed over 100 people and injured 600 others. He then addressed locals at the Bata stadium, where he spoke about 'respect for the rights of every citizen, every family, every social group.'
According to Amnesty International, inmates in the facility are 'reportedly routinely beaten as punishment.' The organization has also warned that numerous detainees 'have neither been seen nor heard from, and their relatives do not know whether they are alive or dead.'
