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June 14, 2006

Cameroon men "guilty" of sodomy

Seven of the nine men who have been on trial for homosexuality in the African nation of Cameroon have been found guilty of sodomy and sentenced to a 10-month jail term, according to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. Since the men have already been imprisoned for more than a year, they are expected to be released shortly for time served.

One of the men, Christian Angoula, was reportedly gay-bashed by fellow prisoners last week and had to be carried into the courtroom by one of his fellow prisoners. Two of the men—Ayissi Francois and Lamba Marc Lambert—were acquitted of all charges. “We can only begin to imagine the impact that unfair imprisonment and now these bogus convictions has had on these men,” said Cary Alan Johnson, IGLHRC’s senior coordinator for Africa. “The abuse they have suffered is unacceptable.”  

Two other men were convicted on sodomy charges earlier this year and sentenced to one year in prison. Four women are awaiting trial on the same charges. Cameroon has become famous this past year for detention of its citizens on sodomy charges, sanctioning the expelling of young women from secondary schools for their stated sexual orientation, and for gay-baiting high level officials and public personalities with charges of homosexuality in local papers. (The Advocate)

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