http://www.camer.be/index1.php?art=30826&rub=11:1
On December 17th 2013, Mr. Ateba Ombala president of the collegiality of the high court of Yaoundé have confirmed the 20 years sentence already pronounced on October 4th 2012 by the court of high instance of Mfoudi in yaounde in the case of Michel Thierry Atangana and Titus Edzoa against the Cameroon government.
The facts:
Since 1997, Mr. Titus Edzoa who was the minister of public health of the Cameroon government resigned from the post and inclined candidate of the presidential on the leadership of the ruling party (Cameroon people’s democratic movement) CPDM. He elected Mr. Thierry Atangana campaign manager without consulting him. There begins their descent into hell.
They are arrested and keep in infected cells at Secretariat of State for Defense (SED) at Yaoundé. They are sentenced to 15 years in prison each in a hurry without a fair trial and without the presence of lawyers in 1997. It is in the stride that they learn they are accused of “misappropriation of public funds by coercion”.
After the rogatory Commission establishment by the state of Cameroon, the judge Pascal MAGNAGUAMABE makes a no suit on October 23rd 2008 for Mr. Michel Thierry Atangana and requests the dismissal of Mr. Titus Edzoa before the criminal court for misappropriation of two vehicles (ambulance and personal).
The court did appeal when the two have almost finished serving an unjust sentence.
The Central Africa human rights defenders network (REDHAC)
Observe this process since 2011 and regrets to deplore the justice serving the executive;
finds that there is a denial of justice and emits its reservations about the independence of justice in this case;
Recalls that Amnesty International in its report of January 2013 on the situation of human rights in Cameroon has qualified these two men as being opinion prisoners that which REDHAC has always declared.
The Central Africa human rights defenders network (REDHAC)
Like yesterday strongly condemns this confirmation of Thierry Atangana and Titus edzoa.
Demand their immediate and unconditional release.
To the Cameroon authorities, The Central Africa human rights defenders network (REDHAC) demands to respect:
1) the provisions of the African Charter for Human and people’s Rights which states in Article 13 paragraph 1 and 2 and Article 26;
Article 13:
Paragraph 1: “all citizens have the right to participate freely in the government of their country, either directly or through freely chosen representative’s intermediate…”
Paragraph 2: “all citizens have also the right to enter public service of thier country.”
Article 26: “party states to the present Charter shall have the duty to guarantee the independence of the courts and allow the establishment and improvement of appropriate national institutions entrusted with the promotion and protection of rights and freedoms guaranteed by this Charter.”
2) The provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of the United Nations Article 19 paragraph 1 which states: “no one may be concerned for their opinions.”
Finally, the Central Africa human rights defenders network (REDHAC) announces that, having an observer status with the African Commission on Human and people's Rights (CADHP), will in a short delay call on the commission, so that the Cameroon state answers for this injustice and the flagrant violation of the provisions of regional and international instruments ratified freely.
© Correspondance : REDHAC
Maximilienne C. NGO MBE
Directrice Exécutive du REDHAC
Membre du Conseil d'Administration du Réseau Panafricain des
Défenseurs des Droits Humains
Membre du Comité de Pilotage du Forum des ONGs
Membre du Groupe de Travail sur la liberté d'association et de
manifestations pacifiques de la Commission Africaine des Droits de
l'Homme et des Peuples (CADHP)
Experte de l'Union Africaine sur les questions de la Démocratie, des
Elections et de la Bonne Gouvernance
B.P. 2863 Douala-Cameroun
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