The network of Human Rights Defenders in Central Africa has strongly condemned the poor treatment of detained Anglophones and some political prisoners in Kondengui. Their stance was made known in a release signed recently in Yaoundé.

The Press release was a reaction to an ugly incident which the prison authorities searched the cells of detainees seizing their personal gadgets and money. The cells searched were those of Barrister Agbor Balla, Dr Fontem Neba, Harissou Aboubakar , who are all accused of plotting against the State.

Following an order from the Kondengui prison superintendent, Senguena Abada, the detainees are warned not to entertain any visitor for one month. According to the Human Rights defenders, such decision is a gross violation of article 5 on the African Charter on human and people’s rights.

The act of prison authorities also violated article 7 of the International pact relating to people and political rights. Some journalists detained in Yaoundé were recently charged at the military tribunal, Atia Tilarius Political Desk Editor of the Sun newspaper was charged with promoting terrorism.

He was arrested in Buea on February 9, 2017 in Buea alongside Amod Fofung of The Guardian Post and Mofor Ndong Publisher of Voice of the Voiceless, based in Bamenda.

However Fofung was not brought to court. As observers await the release of the Journalists who are more than half a dozen, the Committee to Protect Journalists has been advocating for the unconditional release of all journalists arrested within the context of the Anglophone crisis.

The African branch recently called on CAF president Ahmad Ahmad to suspend hosting rights of the 2019 AFCON by Cameroon if the country of Paul Biya fails to release journalists arrested.

Source: Cameroon Info.Net