For making a joke out of Boko Haram, three Cameroonian men have been jailed for 10 years after they were tried by the military.
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Amnesty International has condemned the decision by Cameroon to jail three men for 10 years over a Boko Haram joke.
The three men were tried by a Military Court in Cameroon. Fomusoh
Ivo Feh, Afuh Nivelle Nfor and Azah Levis Gob 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.
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