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see: Useful website for LGBT Africa: http://www.mask.org.za/ 1 Cameroon men get six months jail for being gay 1/08 2 Alternatives-Cameroun Celebrates Release of Accused Gay Men 3/08 16th January 2008 1 by PinkNews.co.uk staff writer The three men's lawyer said she would appeal the convictions and none of the men had been found guilty of homosexual acts. Article 347 of the country's penal code prohibits consensual same-sex relationships. The men have been held in jail since August. People currently detained on grounds of homosexuality all have cases riddled with irregularities and have been subject to procedures that are inconsistent with the new Cameroonian code of penal procedure. After arrest, alleged homosexuals are detained for investigation for longer time periods that the law prescribes. If they are lucky enough to find a lawyer, then they undergo an endless number of trials. "This is a tactic that the court frequently uses in the cases of gay men and lesbians," said Sebastien Mandeng, human rights researcher at Alternatives-Cameroon, the national LGBT organisation. They needlessly prolong the process with no legal justification in order to unofficially punish and imprison the accused." More than 30 people have been arrested in Cameroon in the last two years on charges of homosexuality, despite an October 2006 ruling by the United Nations that such arrests to be arbitrary and unfair. Dozens of students, particularly girls and young women, have been expelled from schools as result of their real or perceived sexual orientation. Alternatives-Cameroun has documented the cases of more than 13 other men currently being detained in Cameroon under Article 347. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has declared that detention on the basis of sexual orientation in Cameroon constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of liberty contrary to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The UN human rights body called on the government of Cameroon to adopt necessary measures to remedy the situation, including the possible repeal of Article 347. The human rights groups Alternatives-Cameroun, Amnesty International, IGLHRC, Les Pantheres Rose, and OUT are calling for the repeal of Article 347, the release of all individuals detained under this law, and an end to official discrimination based on sexual orientation in Cameroon.
March 26, 2008 2 by Abeli Zahabu (BTM French Reporter) Alternatives-Cameroun however contended that the detention was still arbitrary given that the accused had a legal representation and a traceable residence in Cameroon; they qualified for bail. However the organisation was relieved when the men were released. “It is a great relief and reassurance. We were so moved when we saw their faces emerging from jail after so many days behind bars”, said Steave Nemande, Alternatives-Cameroun coordinator. However, there is also a sense of sadness as these people were illegally detained and unfairly treated. They will now have to undergo medical examination to determine if they did not contract hepatitis, Aids or some other diseases while there were in jail”, Nemande added. Sebastien Mandeng, Human Rights Coordinator at Alternatives-Cameroun said that the prosecutor had refused to grant the accused bail before but is content that the judge has acceded to this temporary release. Following their release, Alternatives-Cameroun is calling for the condemnation of the Cameroonian government for the illegal detention of its citizens on the basis of their sexual orientation. “Even though we consider the release as a victory for our organisation, we are still waiting for the Cameroonian Supreme Court to clear the accusations levelled against the six men”, explained Nemande. The organisation intends to take this matter even further to the international tribunals and courts to force the Cameroonian authorities to stop arresting people based on their different sexual orientation. Presently homosexuals in Cameroon still live in fear and suspicion in their own country because of threats of arrest justified by section 347 of the Cameroonian Penal Code which criminalises homosexuality, according to the organisation. According to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), more than 30 people have been arrested in Cameroon during the last two years on charges of homosexuality despite an October 2006 ruling by the United Nations that termed such arrests to be arbitrary and unfair. |
