A state of war machine courtroom inwards Republic of Cameroon has sentenced an opposition political party leader to 25 years inwards prison theatre afterward an unfair trial, Amnesty International said today.
Aboubakar Siddiki, President of the principal opposition political party inwards northern Cameroon, ‘Mouvement patriotique du salut camerounais’, was today convicted of charges including hostility against the homeland, revolution as well as contempt of the President, despite no credible evidence existence presented to the court. In the same trial, Abdoulaye Harissou, a well-known notary, was every bit good sentenced to 3 years prison theatre for non-denunciation. However, the courtroom lastly dropped all charges against 3 journalists - Baba Wame, Felix Ebole Bola as well as Rodrigue Tongue –who were charged inwards 2014 amongst ‘non-denunciation’ of information as well as sources inwards relation to the same affair.
“Aboubakar Siddiki is the latest victim of the Cameroonian authorities’ strangling of opposition voices. Alongside Abdoulaye Harissou he has already spent to a greater extent than than 3 years inwards detention, suffered torture as well as straight off he must expression upward a time to come behind bars on the footing of a politically motivated as well as deeply flawed trial,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, Amnesty International’s Lake Republic of Chad Researcher.
“While the conclusion to behave the 3 journalists comes every bit a groovy relief, they should never convey been charged inwards the showtime identify only for doing their job, as well as in that location should live no identify for civilians inwards front end of a state of war machine court.”
Aboubakar Siddiki as well as Abdoulaye Harissou were arrested inwards August 2014, defendant without evidence of existence involved inwards a conspiracy to destabilise the country. They were held incommunicado for over twoscore days inwards an illegal facility piece of work past times the General Directorate of External Relations as well as subjected to torture.
Initially charged amongst complicity inwards murder, illegal possession of arms, hostility against the homeland, revolution, non-denunciation as well as contempt of the President, their lawsuit began on 22 Jan 2016. On ix Oct 2017, all charges except ‘non-denunciation’ were dropped against Harissou, but those against Siddiki were maintained.
In Feb 2017, the President of the state of war machine courtroom ruled that all the evidence, except the written report of the preliminary investigation, brought past times the prosecution against Harissou as well as Siddiki were to live rejected because they did non back upward the charges. This conclusion was reaffirmed past times a newly-appointed gauge inwards Apr 2017. However, Harissou as well as Siddiki were never released, as well as were all the same convicted.
26 hearings earlier the state of war machine court
Siddiki, Harissou as well as the 3 journalists convey attended 26 hearings earlier the Yaoundé state of war machine court, amongst hearings repeatedly postponed. The lawsuit was marred past times multiple irregularities including witnesses refusing to evidence because of intimidation, the admission of evidence extracted nether torture the failure to let on relevant documents to the defense forcefulness lawyers.
The 3 journalists were initially charged inwards Oct 2014 amongst ‘non-denunciation of information as well as sources’ nether Cameroon’s Criminal Code as well as placed nether judicial command which was lifted inwards Jan as well as Feb 2015 for each of them. Last month, the charges were requalified amongst contempt of the President of the Republic.
Having already been detained for to a greater extent than than 3 years awaiting trial, Abdoulaye Harissou should straight off live released from prison theatre according to Cameroonian law. The lawyers of Aboubakar Siddiki convey confirmed that they volition appeal the judgement.
“This unfairness of this lawsuit underscores the lack of independence as well as impartiality inherent inwards state of war machine courts inwards Cameroon, every bit elsewhere. The presumption of innocence, the correct to an adequate defence as well as the independence of proceedings were all seriously undermined,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi.
“We are calling on the Cameroonian regime to liberate as well as drib all charges against Aboubakar Siddiki as well as Abdoulaye Harissou, as well as refrain from e'er using state of war machine courts to prosecute civilians.”
Amnesty International