Urgent Action: Call for Release of 11 Men and Decriminalization of Homosexuality in Cameroon
January 2008
Eleven men were arrested and detained in Cameroon between 19th July and 1st September 2007 because they were suspected of engaging in acts of homosexuality. Sexual relations between two people of the same sex are illegal in Cameroon. The 11 men were arrested in the cities of Douala and Yaoundé where they remain in custody. Amnesty International considers the detainees to be prisoners of conscience, detained solely on account of their presumed sexual orientation, and is calling for their immediate and unconditional release as well as for the decriminalization of homosexuality in Cameroon. The continued detention of the men on this basis contravenes the rights to freedom from discrimination, privacy and freedom of assembly and association, as guaranteed by the international and regional human rights treaties to which Cameroon is a party.
Between 19 and 21 July 2007, police arrested six men at various public places in the city of Douala accusing them of engaging in acts of homosexuality. The arrests followed a woman’s allegations of theft and alleged homosexual acts against her two juvenile cousins. The two were arrested, questioned and later released. After their interrogation by the police, three other men were also arrested on suspicion of having engaged in acts of homosexuality. An additional three men were also arrested for the same reasons.
On 25 July 2007, the 6 men were transferred to Douala’s central prison. In addition to charges of homosexuality men were also accused of committing “sodomy” and “corrupting youth” in violation of the provisions of sections 344, 346 and 347 of the Cameroonian Penal code. One of the detainees was also accused of committing an indecent assault with a 16-year-old boy.
On 16 August 2007, two men were arrested in Yaoundé. According to sources, it was close to 4 am when the police broke down the door of the room where the men were sleeping. The policemen asked them to remove their clothes before telling them they were being arrested because they had been caught having sex. Their case was transferred to the Attorney General on 20 August 2007. According to their lawyer, the men were subjected to anal examinations to determine if they had engaged in sexual acts.
On 30 August 2007, at around 5:45 AM, three men were arrested by a police patrol in Douala. The men were found fighting over a TV set and a DVD player. According to the police report one of the accused had solicited sex from the other two men in exchange of 25,000CFA (equivalent of US$ 50) and a fight began after a dispute over the payment. The three men were charged with same-sex sexual relations by the Attorney General at the Douala Public Prosecutor’s Department. They appeared at Douala 1st Instance Tribunal on 7 November 2007, on 2 January and on 8 January 2008 and pleaded not guilty. On 9 January 2008, the Tribunal convicted and sentenced the three men to 6 months imprisonment with hard labor and fines ranging from US $54 to US $100.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals in French, English or your own language:
- expressing concern for the eleven detainees on trial in the capital, Yaoundé, on charges of practising homosexuality;
- stating that Amnesty International believes that they are prisoners of conscience, detained solely because of their alleged sexual orientation;
- asking the authorities to order an immediate halt to the trial of these detainees on charges based on their suspected or known sexual orientation;
- urging the authorities to release the detainees immediately and unconditionally and to respect their right to freedom of association in accordance with international human rights treaties, such as the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and under the African Convention for Human and People’s Rights, to which Cameroon is a party;
- calling on the authorities to ensure that the detainees are not subjected to anal examinations or any other form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment;
- calling on the authorities to ensure that the detainees are allowed access to their families, lawyers and any medical attention they may require.
ADDRESS APPEALS TO:
Minister of Justice
Mr Amadou Ali
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of Justice
Yaoundé
Cameroon
Salutation: Dear vice-Prime Minister/ Monsieur
le Vice-Premier Ministre
WITH COPIES TO :
Minister of Interior
Mr Marafa Hamidou Yaya
Minister of Territorial Administration Decentralization
Ministry of Territorial Administration Decentralization
Yaoundé
Cameroon
Salutation: Dear Minister/Monsieur le Ministre
Director of Kondengi prison
Monsieur le Directeur
Prison Centrale de Kondengui,
BP 100, Yaoundé- Province Centrale.
Cameroon
…and to diplomatic representatives of Cameroon in your country.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your Amnesty International section office, if sending appeals after 31 March 2008.
