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CAMEROON: Court Acquits Two Men Sentenced for "Looking Gay"

There is finally some very good news to report from Cameroon, where gay men have been routinely and randomly arrested and subjected to legal ordeals that continue for years.

An appeals has overturned the convictions of two young men found guilty of homosexuality and sentenced to five years in prison. reports the BBC. The youths were accused of "looking gay" and "appearing feminine" because they wore makeup and some women's clothing. The notorious case was first reported on Rod 2.0 in 2011.

[Attorney and human rights activist] Alice Nkom said she was pleased because the judge who convicted them had been influenced by "stereotypes". In November 2011, a court sentenced the two men to five years in prison after police arrested them for allegedly having oral sex in a car in the capital, Yaounde. They denied the charge.

On Monday the Court of Appeals ruled saying they were not guilty, Ms Nkom said. "They were doing nothing when they were arrested by police," Ms Nkom said. "Just because they were wearing women's clothes and had make-up the police said this must be a network of homosexuals and put them in jail."

She said it was unclear whether the prosecution intended to challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court. Nevertheless, she said she expected the two men to be freed on Tuesday.

Nkom is the West African nation's leading pro-gay attorney and has successfully freed more than a dozen imprisoned gay men. She is appealing another case that made news in recent weeks, adds Reuters.

Three weeks ago, the same appeal court upheld the three-year jail term of 32-year-old Jean-Claude Roger Mbede, found guilty of homosexual conduct because he sent a text message to another man saying: "I'm very much in love with you."

TNkom, who also defended Mbede, said she hoped the supreme court would overturn that ruling. "A man cannot be found guilty of practicing homosexuality simply because he sent a message to another man to say he loves him. At least two persons of same sex must be caught doing the act before they are arrested and convicted."

Cameroon is one of at least 38 of Africa's 54 nations that currently have laws penalizing same-sex relations or even sexuality.  Four nations—Mauritania, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan—boast the death penalty for gays or same-sex activity. South Africa and Seychelles are the only African nations that protect LGBT rights. South Africa is also the only African nation to guarantee marriage equality.

Cameroon President Paul Biya—who has held office since 1982—boasts one of Africa's more repressive anti-LGBT regimes. Recent months have seen an increase in arrests and prosecutions under section 347a of its penal code, which criminalizes same-sex sexual acts. The government is preparing to toughen its already harsh penalties against homosexuality by equating them with pedophilia.

Background:
AF Pilot Refuses to Deport Gay Man to Cameroon
20+ LGBT Activists Assaulted by Mob in Cameroon
Cameroon Urged to Release 2 Gay Youths
CAMEROON: 3 Gay Youths Sentenced to Five Years
CAMEROON: Alice Nkom Warns of Rise in Arrests
CAMEROON: 2 Teens, 2 Men Face Trial
2 Gay Youth Arrested for "Looking Feminine"
2 Gay Youth Face Trial for Homosexuality
Air France Refuses to Deport Gay Asylum Seeker
CAMEROON: 3 More Arrests for Homosexuality
Cameroon: Pro-LGBT Attorney Threatened w/ Arrest
Cameroon Sentences Journalist to 6 Months
Cameroon Sentences Three for Homosexuality
Gay Man Imprisoned for Two Years Without Trial
"Homosexuelle en Afrique"
Cameroon Gay Man Re-Arrested

CAMEROON: 2 Gay Men Appeal Harsh, 5 Year Prison Sentence

New developments from Cameroon, where gay men are often randomly arrested and subjected to legal ordeals that continue for years. Since late July, a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old have been in police custody. Reports suggest the youths were arrested because they appeared "feminine". The two men received the maximum prison sentence of five years in November.

Last week an appeal was filed—and the two men were mocked and jeered in the courtroom, reports AFP.

The lawyer for the two men, identified as Jonas and Franky, called for their release. "They will present guarantees to assure you that they will respond regularly to summons from the court," Michel Togue said at the appeals court in Yaounde, the Cameroonian capital.

The two men, jeered by a crowd outside, were driven back to prison. "There is prejudice here," the lawyer said. The pair and another man were sentenced to five years in jail in November and ordered to pay a 300-euro ($395) fine. The third man was not present during the trial in November and did not figure in the appeal hearing on Friday.

The next hearing is scheduled for April 20.

Also last week: Two women pleaded "not guilty" to charges of practicing homosexuality, reports South Africa's News 24. This is believed to be the first such case in the central African nation involving women. The defendants are represented by noted attorney and human rights activist Alice Nkom. The attorney has "sought an annulment of the trial over alleged rights abuses."

Cameroon is one of at least 38 of Africa's 54 nations that currently have laws penalizing same-sex relations or even sexuality.  Four nations—Mauritania, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan—boast the death penalty for gays or same-sex activity. South Africa and Seychelles are the only African nations that protect LGBT rights. South Africa is also the only African nation to guarantee marriage equality.

Cameroon also boasts one of continent's more repressive anti-LGBT regimes. Recent months  have seen an increase in arrests and prosecutions under section 347a of its penal code, which criminalizes same-sex sexual acts. The government is preparing to toughen its already harsh penalties against homosexuality by equating them with pedophilia.

Background:
Cameroon Urged to Release 2 Gay Youths
CAMEROON: 3 Gay Youths Sentenced to Five Years
CAMEROON: Alice Nkom Warns of Rise in Arrests
CAMEROON: 2 Teens, 2 Men Face Trial
2 Gay Youth Arrested for "Looking Feminine"
2 Gay Youth Face Trial for Homosexuality
Air France Refuses to Deport Gay Asylum Seeker
CAMEROON: 3 More Arrests for Homosexuality
Cameroon: Pro-LGBT Attorney Threatened w/ Arrest
Cameroon Sentences Journalist to 6 Months
Cameroon Sentences Three for Homosexuality
Gay Man Imprisoned for Two Years Without Trial
"Homosexuelle en Afrique"
Cameroon Gay Man Re-Arrested

Cameroon Urged to Release 2 Gay Youths Sentenced to 5 Years Prison

More from Cameroon, where gay men are routinely and randomly arrested and subjected to legal ordeals that continue for years. Since late July, a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old have been in police custody. Reports suggest the youths were arrested because they appeared "feminine". The two men received the maximum prison sentence of five years last week. A third man was sentenced in absentia after jumping bail.

Prominent human rights attorney and LGBT rights activist Alice Nkom  "told the BBC that the men were jailed because they looked like women," reports the LA Times. "The prosecution accused them of having oral sex in a car, a claim the men denied."

Amnesty International is urging President Paul Biya to release the young men.

"People accused of such crimes in Cameroon often face abuse and violence from other detainees or prison officers in detention. The two men must be released immediately and the Cameroonian authorities must repeal the country’s discriminatory anti-homosexuality laws," said Erwin van der Borght, Amnesty International’s director for Africa.

In addition to the five-year prison sentence, the maximum sentence for homosexual acts in Cameroon, the men, only known as Francky, Jonas and Hilaire,, were each fined 200,000 CFA francs ($400). Their lawyer has appealed against the sentence.

Homosexuality is illegal in Cameroon and the country has recently seen a wave of anti-gay persecution. At least ten individuals in Yaounde and Douala have been arrested under the discriminatory anti-gay laws since March this year. One man, Jean-Claude Roger Mbede, was convicted and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on 28 April 2011. At least six others, arrested in July and August 2011, remain in custody, while three men were arrested and then released.

Cameroon is one of at least 32 of Africa's 54 nations that currently have laws penalizing same-sex relations or even sexuality. Three nations—Mauritania, Nigeria and Sudan—boast the death penalty for gays or same-sex activity.

The beautiful central African nation boasts one of continent's more repressive anti-LGBT regimes. Recent months, have seen an increase in arrests and prosecutions under section 347a of its penal code, which criminalizes same-sex sexual acts. The government is preparing to toughen its already harsh penalties against homosexuality by equating them with pedophilia.

Background:

CAMEROON: 3 Gay Youths Sentenced to Five Years
CAMEROON: Alice Nkom Warns of Rise in Arrests
CAMEROON: 2 Teens, 2 Men Face Trial
2 Gay Youth Arrested for "Looking Feminine"
2 Gay Youth Face Trial for Homosexuality
Air France Refuses to Deport Gay Asylum Seeker
CAMEROON: 3 More Arrests for Homosexuality
Cameroon: Pro-LGBT Attorney Threatened w/ Arrest
Cameroon Sentences Journalist to 6 Months
Cameroon Sentences Three for Homosexuality
Gay Man Imprisoned for Two Years Without Trial
"Homosexuelle en Afrique"
Cameroon Gay Man Re-Arrested

CAMEROON: 3 Gay Youths Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

Disturbing news from the central African nation of Cameroon, where gay men are routinely and randomly arrested and subjected to legal ordeals that continue for years. Since late July, a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old have been in custody. Reports suggest the youths were arrested because they appeared "feminine". Those two and an additional man have received the maximum prison sentence, reports AFP.

The Ekounou court sentenced the three on Tuesday to five years imprisonment and a fine, the heaviest sentence provided by Cameroonian law, which bans homosexuality, Michel Togue told AFP. Two of the convicted men were present for the ruling but the third was sentenced in absentia, said Togue, who added he had appealed the decision.

"It's a bad ruling because it is a blatant violation of the law," the lawyer said, citing procedural technicalities when the guilty verdict was handed down. He also accused the judge of peppering the hearing with homophobic innuendos.

"The three were allegedly caught in the act in a vehicle in July. "It's a shocking and unacceptable decision," said Alice Nkom, president of the pro-gay advocacy group Adefho. "It is not worthy of a country that speaks of human rights."

The young men were reportedly beaten and tortured in jail.

The central African nation boasts one of Africa's more repressive anti-LGBT regimes. In recent months, there has been an increase in arrests and prosecutions under section 347a of its penal code, which criminalizes same-sex sexual acts. The government is preparing to toughen its already harsh penalties against homosexuality by equating them with pedophilia.

Nkom said last week the situation has become "more dangerous" with a rise in illegal arrests and torture.

Cameroon is one of at least 38 of Africa's 54 nations that currently have laws penalizing same-sex relations or even sexuality. Three of the nations—Mauritania, Nigeria and Sudan—boast the death penalty for gays or same-sex activity.

Background:
CAMEROON: Alice Nkom Warns of Rise in Arrests
CAMEROON: 2 Teens, 2 Men Face Trial
2 Gay Youth Arrested for "Looking Feminine"
2 Gay Youth Face Trial for Homosexuality
Air France Refuses to Deport Gay Asylum Seeker
CAMEROON: 3 More Arrests for Homosexuality
Cameroon: Pro-LGBT Attorney Threatened w/ Arrest
Cameroon Sentences Journalist to 6 Months
Cameroon Sentences Three for Homosexuality
Gay Man Imprisoned for Two Years Without Trial
"Homosexuelle en Afrique"
Cameroon Gay Man Re-Arrested

CAMEROON: Attorney Alice Nkom Warns of Rise in Anti-Gay Arrests

More news from Cameroon, where gay men are routinely and randomly arrested and subjected to legal ordeals that continue for years. The government is preparing to toughen its already harsh sodomy penalties  by equating same-sex relations with pedophilia

The situation has become "more dangerous" with a rise in illegal arrests and torture, noted attorney and human rights activist Alice Nkom tells The Guardian.

"These laws are illegal – the declaration of human rights is part of our constitution – but the judges still apply them. It's very difficult to prove you have had sex. Under the procedural code you cannot be put in jail unless caught in delecto flagrante.

"But they always put people accused of homosexuality in jail straight away. People are targeted because they wear makeup or looked effeminate. One client was given a three-year sentence because he wrote a text message. It's a very corrupt environment and people get paid for informing on others."

No one knows the true numbers. Punishment for those found guilty is a sentence of between six months and five years as well as fines. Detainees are sometimes tortured in police stations until they confess, Nkom maintains; victims are beaten on the soles of their feet.

Scores of people are imprisoned every year in Cameroon under the regulations. Conditions inside are miserable. The main jail in the capital, Yaounde, was built for 600 but now contains 4,000 inmates. "Unless you buy food from the guards," she said, "you starve. For those whose are homosexual their life is made worse."

The central African nation boasts one of Africa's more repressive anti-LGBT regimes. In recent months, there has been an increase in arrests and prosecutions under section 347a of its penal code, which criminalizes same-sex sexual acts. The government is reportedly preparing to toughen its already harsh penalties against homosexuality by equating them with pedophilia.

Since late July, a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old have been in custody. Reports suggest the youths were arrested because they appeared "feminine".  The young men were beaten and tortured and charged under Section 347a.

Nkom, who successfully freed more than a dozen imprisoned gay men and founded the Association to Defend Homosexuals (ADEFHO), was threatened with arrest earlier this year. In 2007 she discovered an imprisoned gay man who was held for two years without trial. He was later released.

In other news: Cameroon President Paul Biya has been sworn in for a sixth term after "winning" last month's election by a landslide. The 78-year-old Biya has held the position for the last 29 years.

Background:
CAMEROON: 2 Teens, 2 Men Face Trial
2 Gay Youth Arrested for "Looking Feminine"
2 Gay Youth Face Trial for Homosexuality
Air France Refuses to Deport Gay Asylum Seeker
CAMEROON: 3 More Arrests for Homosexuality
Cameroon: Pro-LGBT Attorney Threatened w/ Arrest
Cameroon Sentences Journalist to 6 Months
Cameroon Sentences Three for Homosexuality
Gay Man Imprisoned for Two Years Without Trial
"Homosexuelle en Afrique"
Cameroon Gay Man Re-Arrested
UN Condemns Cameroon Anti-Gay Laws
Yaoundé 11 Free?

Human Rights Groups Pressure Cameroon to End Anti-LGBT Arrests

The international community is responding to the escalating situation in Cameroon, where gay men are routinely and randomly arrested and subjected to legal ordeals that continue for years.

Authorities must end anti-LGBT persecution and repeal laws that criminalize consensual same-sex relations, five human rights organizations said today in an open letter to Cameroon's President Paul Biya.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch joined the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), L’Association pour la Défense des Droits des Homosexuel(le)s (ADEFHO) and Alternatives Cameroun in urging the government to release all individuals detained under the discriminatory law.

"This use of criminal law to punish private sexual activity between consenting adults contravenes international human rights laws that Cameroon has signed and ratified," said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

"“We are receiving an increasing number of reports that individuals are being targeted not only because of their sexual behaviour, which is the subject of these discriminatory laws, but because of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. This use of criminal law to punish identities, as well as behaviours, is deeply concerning,” he added.

"The organizations also ask that the government take steps to ensure the end of detentions, arrests and harassment of individuals on the grounds of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. In the last six months, at least ten individuals in Yaoundé and Douala have been arrested under the law.

The central African nation boasts one of Africa's more repressive anti-LGBT regimes. In recent months, there has been an increase in arrests and prosecutions under section 347a of its penal code, which criminalizes same-sex sexual acts. The government is reportedly preparing to toughen its already harsh penalties against homosexuality by equating them with pedophilia.

Since late July, a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old have been in custody. Reports suggest the youths were arrested because they appeared "feminine".  The young men were beaten and tortured and charged under Section 347a. They were represented by noted attorney and human rights activist Alice Nkom.

The open letter comes at the same time All Out is conducting an online petition to President Biya to support the work of Nkom, who has successfully freed more than a dozen imprisoned gay men and founded the Association to Defend Homosexuals (ADEFHO). Nkom was threatened with arrest earlier this year. In 2007 she discovered an imprisoned gay man who was held for two years without trial. He was later released.

Says Nkom: "I've heard countless recent stories of homophobic violence throughout the country. In ten years of defending LGBT people in Cameroon, it has never been this bad."

More than 53,000 people have signed the petition so far. Join HERE.

Background:
CAMEROON: 2 Teens, 2 Men Face Trial
2 Gay Youth Arrested for "Looking Feminine"
2 Gay Youth Face Trial for Homosexuality
Air France Refuses to Deport Gay Asylum Seeker
CAMEROON: 3 More Arrests for Homosexuality
Cameroon: Pro-LGBT Attorney Threatened w/ Arrest
Cameroon Sentences Journalist to 6 Months
Cameroon Sentences Three for Homosexuality
Gay Man Imprisoned for Two Years Without Trial
"Homosexuelle en Afrique"
Cameroon Gay Man Re-Arrested
UN Condemns Cameroon Anti-Gay Laws
Yaoundé 11 Free?

CAMEROON: 2 Teens, 2 Men Face Trial on Suspicion of Homosexuality

More unfortunate news from Cameroon, where gay men are routinely and randomly arrested and subjected to legal ordeals that continue for years.

Activists report that four more men have been arrested on suspicion of  homosexuality in the capital city of Yaounde. The detainees reportedly include two teenagers, reports ILGA.

Joseph Magloire O (46 years old), Yvan Nicolas N (18 years old), Seraphin Sylvain Nt (34 years old) and Emma L .T (17 years old) were arrested [on]  August 10 and  were presented in front the judge on Friday 26th August  for the allegation of: Homosexuality and indecent assault of a minor. They were remanded at the central prison of Yaounde by the judge the same Friday 26th August 2011.

Alternatives-Cameroon:

- Denounces the instrumentalization of article 347 bis which leads to the madness of repressive Cameroonian citizens on the basis of their sexual orientation real or perceive;

- Asks the authority of the [prison]  to offer to one of the four suspected homosexuals a medical care for his HIV infection and to find suitable conditions of detention for the two other young men;

- Call again the Cameroonian government to stop these wild arrests based on the sexual orientation real or perceive of individuals;

- Call once again to the repeal of the article 347 bis of the Cameroonian penal code which criminalize homosexuality.

The central African nation boasts one of Africa's more repressive anti-LGBT regimes. In recent months, there has been an increase in arrests and prosecutions under section 347a of its penal code, which criminalizes same-sex sexual acts. The government is reportedly preparing to toughen its already harsh penalties against homosexuality by equating them with pedophilia, activist reported last week.

Since late July, a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old have been in custody. New reports suggest the youths were arrested because they appeared feminine.  The young men were beaten and tortured, charged under Section 347a and appeared in court last Friday. Cameroonian LGBT activists also reported the March arrest of three men for homosexuality.

Attorney Alice Nkom, who successfully freed more than a dozen imprisoned gay men and founded the Association to Defend Homosexuals (ADEFHO), was threatened with arrest earlier this year. In 2007 she discovered an imprisoned gay man who was held for two years without trial. He was later released.

Background:
2 Gay Youth Arrested for "Looking Feminine"
2 Gay Youth Face Trial for Homosexuality
Air France Refuses to Deport Gay Asylum Seeker
CAMEROON: 3 More Arrests for Homosexuality
Cameroon: Pro-LGBT Attorney Threatened w/ Arrest
Cameroon Sentences Journalist to 6 Months
Cameroon Sentences Three for Homosexuality
Gay Man Imprisoned for Two Years Without Trial
"Homosexuelle en Afrique"
Cameroon Gay Man Re-Arrested
UN Condemns Cameroon Anti-Gay Laws
Yaoundé 11 Free?

CAMEROON: Harsher Anti-Gay Laws, Penalties Comparable to Pedophilia

More unfortunate news from coming from Cameroon, where gay men are routinely and randomly arrested and subjected to legal ordeals that continue for years. The government is preparing to toughen its already harsh penalties against homosexuality by equating them with pedophilia, activists tell the AFP and South Africa's News 24.

"The government is preparing a reform to the criminal code. In its draft law, it has both maintained and worsened punishment for homosexuality," lawyer Alice Nkom said. "It has widened its jurisdiction and created confusion between homosexuality and paedophilia, which will allow judges to condemn more people more easily."

In the draft law, homosexual acts in general remain punishable by between six months to five years imprisonment, activist Stephane Koche said.

Two new by-laws however punish homosexual acts on minors between 16 and 21 years of age to eight years in jail with 10-15 year terms available for acts committed on minors younger than 16. The new law thus equates acts committed on both age groups as paedophilia, Koche said.

The central African nation boasts one of Africa's more repressive anti-LGBT regimes. In recent months, there has been an increase in arrests and prosecutions under section 347a of its penal code, which criminalizes same-sex sexual acts.

Since late July, a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old have been in custody. New reports suggest the youths were arrested because they appeared feminine.  The young men were beaten and tortured, charged under Section 347a and appeared in court last Friday. They were represented by noted attorney and human rights activist Alice Nkom.

Cameroonian LGBT activists also reported the March arrest of three men for homosexuality.

Attorney Alice Nkom, who successfully freed more than a dozen imprisoned gay men and founded the Association to Defend Homosexuals (ADEFHO), was threatened with arrest earlier this year. In 2007 she discovered an imprisoned gay man who was held for two years without trial. He was later released.

Background:
2 Gay Youth Arrested for "Looking Feminine"
2 Gay Youth Face Trial for Homosexuality
Air France Refuses to Deport Gay Asylum Seeker
CAMEROON: 3 More Arrests for Homosexuality
Cameroon: Pro-LGBT Attorney Threatened w/ Arrest
Cameroon Sentences Journalist to 6 Months
Cameroon Sentences Three for Homosexuality
Gay Man Imprisoned for Two Years Without Trial
"Homosexuelle en Afrique"
Cameroon Gay Man Re-Arrested
UN Condemns Cameroon Anti-Gay Laws
Yaoundé 11 Free?

CAMEROON: 2 Gay Youth Arrested for "Looking Feminine", Tortured

Last week we posted the latest unfortunate news from the central African nation of Cameroon: Two young men were arrested on charges of homosexuality.

There are more developments: Three men were originally arrested, but the oldest suspect was released. The youth  were detained because they "appeared feminine." The men were tortured, charged under laws criminalizing homosexuality and appeared in court, reports Human Rights Watch.

Jonas, 19, and Franky, 20, were in the company of an older man on the night of July 25 and were returning from a bar when they were stopped by police officers [in] Yaoundé. According to the two detainees, the police at first assumed that Jonas and Franky were women because of their feminine appearance. However, upon checking their identification documents, in which Jonas and Franky were identified as male, the police took all three to the offices of the Regional Directorate of the Judicial Police of the first subdivision of Yaoundé, where they were held until August 1.

Cameroonian law declares that a detainee may be held for only up to 48 hours before being brought before a magistrate or judge. However, all three individuals were held for seven days before being charged. During this time, Jonas and Franky refused to make a statement to the police in the absence of legal representation. Members of the Association to Defend Homosexuals, who are representing them, informed Human Rights Watch that police personnel tortured and harassed them in custody. The third man was not harassed or beaten.

Jonas told ADEFHO that police slapped him and beat him on the soles of his feet to make him confess to being homosexual – both Jonas and Franky confessed. They also intimated that they did not receive food while in custody.

On August 1, the three individuals were taken to the Attorney of the Republic at the Court of First Instance, who issued warrants against Jonas and Franky, whose trial is scheduled to begin on August 18; the older man was released. Jonas and Franky remain in custody at the Central Prison in Kondengui, Yaoundé, awaiting trial.

Their first court appearance was 18 August. The youth were represented by noted Cameroonian lawyer and human rights activist Alice Nkom. They have plead not guilty, reports LGBT Asylum News.

Cameroon boasts one of Africa's more repressive anti-LGBT regimes. The nation has become infamous for routinely subjecting men accused of sodomy to legal ordeals that continue for years. Arrests and prosecutions under Cameroon's Section 347a have increased in recent months. Cameroonian LGBT activists reported the March arrest of three men for homosexuality.

Noted human rights lawyer Alice Nkom founded the Association to Defend Homosexuals (ADEFHO). In January, Nkom was threatened with arrest after ADEHO successfully applied for a €300,000 [USD $390,000] grant from the European Union to combat homophobia in Cameroon.

Nkom captured international attention in 2005 and 2006 when she successfully freed the Yaoundé 11, who were arrested in a June 2005 raid on a gay bar and served  a year behind bars. In 2007 she discovered an imprisoned gay man who was held for two years without trial. He was later released.

Background:
2 Gay Youth Face Trial for Homosexuality
Air France Refuses to Deport Gay Asylum Seeker
CAMEROON: 3 More Arrests for Homosexuality
Cameroon: Pro-LGBT Attorney Threatened w/ Arrest
Cameroon Sentences Journalist to 6 Months
Cameroon Sentences Three for Homosexuality
Gay Man Imprisoned for Two Years Without Trial
"Homosexuelle en Afrique"
Cameroon Gay Man Re-Arrested
UN Condemns Cameroon Anti-Gay Laws
Yaoundé 11 Free?

CAMEROON: Outrage After 2 Gay Youth Face Trial for Homosexuality

More disturbing news from the central African nation of Cameroon, where gay men are routinely and randomly arrested and subjected to legal ordeals that continue for years. International human rights activists are calling for the immediate release of two young men who were scheduled to stand trial this week on charges of homosexuality

The two young men have been identified only as Jonas, 19, and Francky, 20. Both were arrested July 25 outside a nightclub the capital city of Yaounde. They have been charged under the country's draconian penal code, reports The Guardian.

They were charged under section 347a of the Cameroonian penal code, which criminalises same-sex sexual acts. They are now being held at Yaounde's Kondengui central prison. If convicted, they face up to five years behind bars.

Homophobia is widespread in Cameroon, with gay men frequently subjected to legal prosecution. In March this year, Jean-Claude Roger Mbede was jailed for three years for homosexuality after apparently falling victim to entrapment by the security forces.

Amnesty reported that Mbede was serving his sentence at Kondengui central prison, known for its overcrowding, poor sanitation and inadequate food supplies. He is said to be in poor physical and mental health and to have been denied medical treatment. He told visitors he had been sleeping on the ground since his imprisonment in March. He is appealing against his conviction and sentence.

The plight of LGBTs in the Cameroon received international attention earlier this month from London. For the third time this summer, an Air France pilot refused to deport a gay man from London to Cameroon. Forty-three-year-old Joseph Kaute applied for asylum in the UK last November. The application was rejected in February. Authorities have attempted to deport Kaute from the UK, but activists have successfully pressured Air France and its pilots,

Arrests and prosecutions under Section 347a have increased in recent months. Cameroonian LGBT activists reported the March arrest of three men for homosexuality.

Noted human rights lawyer Alice Nkom, who successfully freed more than a dozen imprisoned gay men and founded the Association to Defend Homosexuals (ADEFHO), was threatened with arrest earlier this year. In 2007 she discovered an imprisoned gay man who was held for two years without trial. He was later released.

Background:
Air France Refuses to Deport Gay Asylum Seeker
CAMEROON: 3 More Arrests for Homosexuality
Cameroon: Pro-LGBT Attorney Threatened w/ Arrest
Cameroon Sentences Journalist to 6 Months
Cameroon Sentences Three for Homosexuality
Gay Man Imprisoned for Two Years Without Trial
"Homosexuelle en Afrique"
Cameroon Gay Man Re-Arrested
UN Condemns Cameroon Anti-Gay Laws
Yaoundé 11 Free?