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Human Rights Defenders Harrassed and Threatened in Cameroonposted on: 2004/06/17

Human Rights Defenders who have spoken out about torture in Cameroon are facing threats and harassment from the authorities as a result of their work. The Government has reacted to a report on torture in Cameroon published by the Federation Indernationale des ligues des Droits de l’Homme (FIDH) by denouncing Cameroonian human rights defenders in the media. Surveillance of the activities of human rights defenders has been increased and defenders have been threatened.

Front Line has called on the Government of Cameroon to put an end to such threats and harassment. Front Line is particularly concerned about threats made to Mrs Madeleine Afite, of Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture, (ACAT) Mrs Franka Nzounkekang, of the Human Rights Defence Group, (HRDG) Mr Abdoulaye Math of Mouvement pour la Defense des Droits de l’Homme et des Libertes (MDDHL) and their colleagues. On 27 November 2003 Mrs Nzounkekang received information regarding a plan to murder her and some members of her organisation. Front Line has received reports that two members of MDDHL also received death threats recently.

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Not a Happy 5th Birthday for Human Rights Defenders, Dec 2003posted on: 2003/12/30

“In the last five years we have sadly seen an increase in the attacks on human rights defenders around the world,” said Mary Lawlor, Director of Front Line, at an event in Dublin to mark the 5th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

In the last week we have seen an attempt by a group of 10 men in balaclavas and armed with machetes to kill human rights defender Victor Rosa in Guatemala. At the same time human rights defenders Madeleine Afite and Franka Nzounkekang were threatened and harassed by the authorities in Cameroon because of their work to expose torture.

In China Jiang Lijun is beginning a four year prison sentence for “incitement to subvert state power” because he posted political views in favour of democracy on the Internet. In Tunisia human rights lawyer Radhia Nasraoui is entering the seventh week of a hunger strike in protest against threats and harassment from the Tunisian authorities.