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If the joy of Christmas and festive season was anything to go by, six Cameroonians jailed at the New Bell prison in Douala (Cameroon) for homosexuality also had their share of joy on Christmas day.
The executive committee of Alternatives-Cameroun paid a surprise visit to the six jailed Cameroonians on Christmas Day in order to comfort and celebrate the day with them.
They were nine when arrested for contravening the Cameroonian laws deploring homosexuality, and according to a report issued by Alternatives-Cameroun after the visit, the executive committee of the gay organisation visited only the six detainees because the other three said that they feared the visit might lift stigma with other prisoners.
“Three other detainees at the same prison do not want to be stigmatised and often decline our visits”, the report further stated.
“By accepting visitation by Alternatives-Cameroun, it would confirm the charges of homosexuality, which they are denying”, one member of the organisation’s executive committee explained.
The visit spanned 1 hour 15 minutes was made memorable when sharing food and drinks as well as handing out gifts.
“Doualla James [one of the detainees] and his companions were very happy to see us among them, and we were very moved to learn that James was celebrating his birthday on the same day. We handed out the gifts we brought and shared the meal we have cooked”, read the report.
“In general terms, all the detainees looked relatively healthy”, explained the report.
The six detainees are among more than 13 homosexuals detained in that country for allegedly violating section 347 of the Cameroonian Penal Code which criminalises homosexuality.
According to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), more than 30 people had been arrested in Cameroon in the last two years on charges of homosexuality despite an October 2006 ruling by the United Nations that termed such arrests to be arbitrary and unfair.
Dozens of students, particularly girls and young women, have been expelled from schools in Cameroon as a result of their real or perceived sexual orientation.
As a challenge to such arrests, South African and international gay and human rights organisations used the 10th of December last year – which is the International Human Rights Day – to revolt and protest at the Cameroonian High Commission.
The organisations demanded the release of more than 13 homosexuals detained in that country for allegedly violating section 347.
Some demonstrations and protests were held in France and the US’s Cameroonian embassies on the same day.
By Abeli Zahabu (BTM French Reporter)
This entry was posted on Friday, January 11th, 2008 at 8:57 am and is filed under Africa by country, Breaking News, Human Rights Monitor. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
