On 2 March, Cameroonian Jean-Claude Roger Mbede was arrested by members of the Secretary of State for Defence (SED) security service while meeting a male acquaintance -- the man he was meeting had shown the police text messages he had received from Jean-Claude Roger Mbede, and informed them they were due to meet, effectively setting up Jean-Claude for arrest.
Jean-Claude was duly arrested and held for seven days before being charged with homosexuality and attempted homosexuality and sentenced to three years in prison.
He is currently serving his sentence at Kondengui central prison where Amnesty International warns that he is at risk of anti-gay violence and harassment at the hands of fellow inmates and prison authorities.
We the undersigned demand that Jean-Claude be freed and that Cameroon decriminalizes homosexuality because a person should never be jailed for their perceived or actual sexual orientation.
Your Excellency,
We the undersigned are writing to you to draw your attention to the case of Jean-Claude Roger Mbede who was arrested by members of the Secretary of State for Defence (SED) security service on March 2 of this year for charges related to homosexuality. Jean-Claude has now been sentenced to three years incarceration and is being held at Kondengui Central Prison where international human rights groups warn he may face the constant threat of violence.
With deepest reverence for the sovereignty of the Republic of Cameroon, we must lodge our concern that Cameroon continues to criminalize homosexuality via Section 347a of the Cameroonian Penal Code which punishes "sexual relations with a person of the same sex" with six months to five years imprisonment and a fine of between 20,000 Francs CFA (around $35) to 200,000 Francs CFA (around $350).
This aspect of the penal code is in direct contradiction to several International human rights laws including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples%u2019 Rights which Cameroon has signed and ratified.
We ask that Jean-Claude Roger Mbede be freed immediately and without condition because no person should be imprisoned for their perceived or actual sexual orientation -- which most scientists now believe is at least partially innate and certainly not a choice.
We also request the repeal of Section 347a of the Cameroonian Penal Code so that Cameroon may fulfill its obligations to International law.
We make these requests with the deepest of respect for Cameroon's self-governance, knowing that Cameroonians have always been a fair minded people who respect the fundamental rights of others.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.
