Cameroon Military court jails men who joked about Boko Haram

Cameroon Military court jails men who joked about Boko Haram

Amnesty International has condemned the 10 years imprisonment
imposed by a Military Court in Cameroon on three young men,
Fomusoh Ivo Feh, and his friends Afuh Nivelle Nfor and Azah Levis
Gob – who were convicted of ‘non-denunciation of terrorist acts’
following a trial in Yaoundé.

Samira Daoud, Amnesty International Deputy Regional Director for
West and Central Africa said Fomusoh Ivo and his two friends
should never have been arrested in the first place, as they were
simply exercising their right to freedom of expression.

“Instead of being in school like their friends, these three young
men will now spend years of their lives in prison for a simple joke.

“This ruling is clear evidence that Cameroonian military courts
should not have jurisdiction to try civilians. The Cameroonian
authorities must quash their conviction and sentence and
immediately and unconditionally release all three of them,” Daoud
stated.

Ivo, 27, whom Amnesty International considers to be a prisoner of
conscience, was arrested on 13 December 2014 after forwarding
his friends a sarcastic SMS referring to Boko Haram. He was held
in police custody in Douala before being transferred to Yaoundé
Prison in January 2015.