Cameroon: Four journalists released after five days in custody over glasses
Detained while covering an official event in Yaoundé, four Cameroonian journalists were released on Monday after five days in custody. The initial suspicion involved the disappearance of the minister's glasses, which were later found in his vehicle, according to a local media report.
Four Cameroonian journalists regained their freedom on Monday, September 21, after spending five days in custody in Yaoundé. François Essomba, Igor Gwet Bibey, Solange Djuikam, and Pierre Mouchili were detained while covering an official event amid suspicions related to the disappearance of glasses belonging to the Minister of Economy, Alamine Ousmane Mey.
The four professionals, affiliated with Chine Afrique, Inform Plus, Univers Info.net, and Le Procès International, were arrested on September 16 at the Palais des Congrès in Yaoundé during the closing of the Islamic Development Bank Group Days. According to the National Union of Information and Communication Professionals (SPIC), they were initially taken to the 10th district police station in Bastos before being transferred to the central police station No. 1.
Cameroonian media outlet LeBledParle reports that the missing glasses were found the following day in the minister’s personal vehicle. However, the investigation continued over another suspicion, that of “unauthorized intrusion” into a closed-door meeting. The journalists were presented to the prosecutor on September 18 before the case was returned to the police for further investigation, according to the same media outlet.
The SPIC condemned the detention, deeming it “arbitrary and abusive.” In a statement dated September 19, the union emphasized that the four journalists were present at the event in the course of their professional duties and announced plans for legal action and advocacy starting September 21.
The Central Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (REDHAC) also reacted on Monday. The organization called for the immediate release of the four professionals, urged respect for the presumption of innocence, and denounced what it views as an infringement on press and expression freedoms.
The four journalists were ultimately released on September 21. LeBledParle indicates that no charges were filed against them following the investigations available at this stage. The SPIC’s statement had planned to initiate appeals and advocacy actions on the same day to contest their detention.
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