Cameroon: Stop police torture, extortion of LGBT people

Colin Stewart is a 45-year journalism veteran living in Southern…

In response to attempted extortion and death threats by Cameroon police against the president of Cameroon Humanity First Cameroon on Wednesday, the association released this statement:
<span title=”Logo de Humanity First

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Logo of Humanity First

Faced with so many cases of violence promoted by Article 347 bis [the anti-homosexuality law] of the Cameroonian Penal Code, we must wonder whether the nation’s forces of law and order, who are supposed to guarantee the safety of citizens, are aware of that mission. Instead, they<span title=”Ces dernières au contraire torturent et menacent de mort des personnes sans défenses mais aussi livrent les livrent à la vindicte populaire à leur guise.

“> torture and threaten defenseless people with death, and also turn them over to mob justice.

<span title=”Nous demandons donc aux autorités judiciaires que justice soit rendu, que les torts causés aux victimes soient réparés, et enfin que les responsables de ces actes sont punis conformément à la législation en vigueur.

“>We therefore ask judicial authorities to assure that justice is done, that the harms suffered by victims are healed, and finally that the perpetrators of such acts are punished according to law.

We also ask the government to repeal Article 347 bis, which is used to justify violations of the rights of some people in Cameroon today and also restricts individual freedoms, including their right to freely enjoy their sexual orientation and the respect of others.