Amnesty International has condemned in the strongest terms the sentencing of three young Cameroonians to ten years in prison by a military court in Yaoundé. The three young men were jailed this week for sending an SMS message making a joke over the recruitment process of Boko Haram.

Fumosoh Ivo (27 years), Azah Levis and Afuh Nivelle (21), reportedly exchanged an SMS on their mobile phone that said, “Boko Haram recruits young people of 14 and over. Recruitment conditions: Candidates must have validated 4 modules including an A grade in religion.”

This SMS which appeared as a mere joke was considered by a Cameroon pro CPDM judge as propaganda material from the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram. After a long procedure, the judge of the Yaoundé military tribunal on Wednesday, sentenced all three to ten (10) years in prison.

Amnesty International has denounced the conviction. The much respected international body specialized in the defense of human rights condemned the trial and observed that it was tainted with irregularities.

Amnesty International says the procedures for acts of terrorism in Cameroonian courts do not meet international fair trial standards. Cameroon has a “counter-terrorism law” that severely condemns all those who make or transmit propaganda material to encourage terrorism.

By Rita Akana in Yaounde