Eswatini's supreme court has ruled that four men deported by the United States to the southern African nation have the right to meet with local lawyers, ending a nine-month period during which they were denied in-person legal counsel while detained in a maximum security prison.

The men, who are from Cambodia, Cuba, Vietnam and Yemen, were sent to Eswatini in July as part of deportation efforts during the Trump administration. The four individuals had no apparent connection to the small landlocked country, which was formerly known as Swaziland.

Since their arrival, the men have been held in detention facilities without access to in-person legal representation. The supreme court's decision comes after legal challenges regarding their detention conditions and access to counsel.

The case highlights ongoing issues with U.S. deportation policies and the challenges faced by individuals sent to countries with which they have no ties. Eswatini, a monarchy in southern Africa, has a population of approximately 1.2 million people.

The court's ruling establishes that despite being foreign nationals deported to the country, the men retain certain legal rights under Eswatini's judicial system, including access to legal representation during their detention.