(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is a 23 November 1998 joint ARTICLE 19 and Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) letter to Cameroon President Paul Biya, sent as concerns mount regarding the human rights situation in Cameroon: **Updates IFEX alerts of 13 November, 29 October, 13 October, 4 September, 22 January and 14 January 1998** His Excellency […]
(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is a 23 November 1998 joint ARTICLE 19 and
Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) letter to Cameroon President Paul Biya, sent
as concerns mount regarding the human rights situation in Cameroon:
**Updates IFEX alerts of 13 November, 29 October, 13 October, 4 September,
22 January and 14 January 1998**
His Excellency Paul Biya
President of the Republic of Cameroon
Office of the President
Yaoundé, Cameroon
ARTICLE 19 and the Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) are writing to you today
to express their concerns regarding a number of recent developments in the
human rights situation in Cameroon.
ARTICLE 19 and the CPU are concerned to learn of the arrest and brief
detention on 12 November 1998 of Christopher Ezieh, a journalist with the
English language newspaper, The Herald, in connection with an article in the
11 November edition of the newspaper. The article reported that the Governor
of South-West Province had ordered a major salary reduction for civil
servants.
Christopher Ezieh appears to have been arrested solely for exercising his
right to freedom of expression. To our knowledge, he has not been charged
with a recognizably criminal offence. ARTICLE 19 and the CPU believe that
the arrest and brief detention of Christopher Ezieh was a clear violation of
Cameroon’s international obligations under Article 19 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
ARTICLE 19 and the CPU are also concerned about the continuing imprisonment
and deteriorating health of Michel Michaut Moussala, director of Aurore
Plus, who was convicted on a charge of defamation in January 1998 and
sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and a fine. This followed publication
of an article in which he accused a prominent pro-government member of the
National Assembly of corruption and other criminal offences. A new charge of
evading arrest was brought against him because he had not presented himself
to the prison authorities following his conviction in January. Despite the
fact that this charge was dismissed by a court in October, Michel Michaut
Moussala remains in prison, apparently still serving out his sentence. He is
imprisoned in the Central Prison, New Bell, in Douala. Conditions in this
prison are extremely harsh. ARTICLE 19 and the CPU believe that Michel
Michaut Moussala has been imprisoned solely for exercising his right to
freedom of expression and should be immediately and unconditionally
released. If he is to remain imprisoned, we request assurances that he is
being held in conditions which conform to international standards for the
treatment of prisoners.
ARTICLE 19 and the CPU take this opportunity to welcome the release of Pius
Njawé on 12 October 1998. However, we are strongly of the opinion that,
rather than having been released as a result of a presidential pardon after
nine months in prison, he should never have been arrested and detained in
the first place. As we have stated in the past, it is unacceptable in
principle for offences such as dissemination of false news ever to be
punishable by imprisonment. Such practices constitute a gross breach of the
right to freedom of expression. Any complaints of dissemination of false
news should be dealt with solely through the courts as civil cases.
ARTICLE 19 and the CPU are also greatly concerned by the continuing plight
of more than 50 of those arrested in connection with violent incidents in
North-West Province in late March 1997. ARTICLE 19 has raised these cases
with you now on numerous occasions. They are still being held despite the
fact that they have not been charged with any offence. None have been
brought to trial. Meanwhile, a number of those detained have died in
detention as a result of torture and ill-treatment or medical neglect. The
latest was Lawrence Fai, who died around 5 September 1998 after finally
being admitted to hospital. He was being held at Nkondengui prison in
Yaounde. Other prisoners are reported to be seriously ill, including Philip
Tete and Ebenezer Akwanga, who is said to have suffered paralysis of his
lower limbs and impaired vision as a result of torture.
As we stated in our letter to you of 9 January 1998, while ARTICLE 19
accepts that it is the responsibility of the government to bring to justice
those responsible for acts of violence, in doing so the authorities have an
obligation to respect fully their basic human rights, protecting them
against torture or ill-treatment and guaranteeing their right to fair trial
within a reasonable time. ARTICLE 19 and the CPU are concerned that many of
those arrested appear to have been detained solely because of their
association with opposition political organisations. Any individuals for
whom this is the case should be released immediately and unconditionally.
Further, if any of those being held are not to be promptly charged with a
recognizably criminal offence, they should be released. ARTICLE 19 and the
CPU also call for the detainees to be treated humanely in accordance with
international standards and for the government to initiate independent
investigations into to the deaths of those who have died in custody
following their arrest, and into all other allegations of torture and
ill-treatment, in order to bring those responsible to justice.
The cases described above are not only violations of Cameroon’s
international obligations under the ICCPR. They also run counter to the 1991
Harare Principles, to which all member states of the Commonwealth have
expressed their commitment. We will be sending a copy of this letter to the
Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, and to ministerial
representatives of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group.
Thank you for your attention to these urgent matters.
Frances D’Souza, Executive Director, Article 19
Lindsay Ross, Press Freedom Director, Commonwealth Press Union
Appeals To
Similar appeals can be sent to:
His Excellency Paul Biya
President of the Republic of Cameroon
Office of the President
Yaoundé, Cameroon
Fax: +237 23 30 33 / 22 12 99 / 23 00 05
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
For further informatio
