Human rights in Cameroon

Human rights in Cameroon are addressed in the constitution. However, the 2009 Human Rights Report by the United States Department of State noted concerns in regard to election irregularities, security forces torture and arbitrary arrests., [https://web.archive.org/web/20100315154621/http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2009/af/135942.htm 2009 U.S Dept of State Human Rights Report: Cameroon]

Issues

A 2002 report by the UK charity Freedom from Torture said that "The prevalence of torture in Cameroon was such as to warrant a country visit from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture in 1999. He described the use of torture in Cameroon as 'widespread and systematic.'"Medical Foundation for Care of Victims of Torture (2002), [http://www.torturecare.org.uk/publications/reports/284 "'Every Morning Just Like Coffee'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613112238/http://www.torturecare.org.uk/publications/reports/284 |date=2011-06-13 }}. [http://www.torturecare.org.uk/resources/publications/2097 full report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613112320/http://www.torturecare.org.uk/resources/publications/2097 |date=2011-06-13 }}

In its 2012 Annual Review, Freedom from Torture stated that they had received 33 referrals for torture survivors from Cameroon for clinical treatment or other services.

Amnesty International reported concerns about violence by security forces. In 2009, around 100 civilians were killed during demonstrations.[https://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/cameroon-catalogue-human-rights-abuses-20090129 Cameroon: A catalogue of human rights abuses, Amnesty International]

In April 2010, Germain Cyrille Ngota Ngota, the editor of the Cameroun Express, died in custody at Kondengui Central Prison. He had been jailed pending trial in February 2010 along with the editors of two other newspapers, for the alleged "joint forgery" of the signature of a presidential official. One of the editors said that the document in question had merely been attached to an interview request, whilst the journalist who had originated the document was on the run.Reporters without Borders, 20 April 2010, [http://en.rsf.org/cameroon-health-of-three-journalists-20-04-2010,37093.html Health of three journalists deteriorating in Kondengui prison] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230938/http://en.rsf.org/cameroon-health-of-three-journalists-20-04-2010,37093.html |date=2016-03-03 }} "The Federation of African Journalists after visiting the country described Cameroon in May 2010 as 'one of the worst jailers of journalists in Africa'."{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/libertycentral/2010/aug/08/cameroon-journalist-charles-atangana | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Jeremy | last=Dear | title=A journalist in danger | date=8 August 2010}}Federation of African Journalists [http://www.nuj.org.uk/files/FAJ_report.pdf report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613115216/http://www.nuj.org.uk/files/FAJ_report.pdf |date=2011-06-13 }}

As of 2020, Cameroon "currently prosecutes consensual same sex conduct more aggressively than almost any country in the world".{{cite book |last1=Gloppen |first1=Siri |last2=Rakner |first2=Lise |title=Research Handbook on Gender, Sexuality and the Law |date=2020 |isbn=9781788111157 |page=196 |chapter-url=https://www.elgaronline.com/view/edcoll/9781788111140/9781788111140.00022.xml |chapter=LGBT rights in Africa|publisher=Edward Elgar }}

On 27 June 2022, the Human Rights Watch reported that the armed separatist fighters killed and injured people, raped a girl, and committed other grave human rights abuses across Cameroon’s Anglophone regions. The separatists also burned schools, attacked universities, and kidnapped up to 82 people, with no apparent fear of being held to account by either their own leaders or Cameroonian law enforcement.{{cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/06/27/cameroon-separatist-abuses-anglophone-regions|title=Cameroon: Separatist Abuses in Anglophone Regions|accessdate=27 June 2022|website=Human Rights Watch|date=27 June 2022 }}

In March 2024, the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) denounced “intense repression” by the Cameroonian government against the opposition, after the government of Paul Biya declared the grouping of its main parties in two platforms “illegal”.{{Cite news|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2024/03/22/human-rights-watch-accuse-a-nouveau-le-cameroun-de-paul-biya-de-reprimer-toute-opposition_6223519_3212.html|title=Human Rights Watch accuse à nouveau le Cameroun de Paul Biya de réprimer toute opposition|last=Le Monde, AFP|access-date=2024-03-23|language=fr}}

Historical situation

The following table gives Cameroon's ratings since 1972 in the Freedom in the World reports, published annually by Freedom House. A score of 1 is "most free" and 7 is "least free".{{cite web | url = http://www.freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/Country%20Ratings%20and%20Status%2C%201973-2014%20%28FINAL%29.xls | title = Country ratings and status, 1973-2014 |work=Freedom in the World | access-date = 8 February 2014 | publisher = Freedom House | date = January 2014 | format = XLS}}{{ref|a|1}}

class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="border:none; "

!Historical ratings

style="padding:0; border:none;"|

{| class="wikitable sortable" width=100% style="border-collapse:collapse;"

style="background:#eee; font-weight:bold; text-align:center;"

| style="width:3em; text-align:left;" | Year

| style="width:3em;" |Political Rights

| style="width:3em;" |Civil Liberties

| style="width:3em;" |Status

| style="width:3em;" |President{{ref|b|2}}

align=center

| align=left | 1972

| style="background:#ff9;" |6

| style="background:#ff9;" |4

| style="background:#ff9;" | Partly Free

| style="background:#ff9;" |Ahmadou Ahidjo

align=center

| align=left | 1973

| style="background:#ff9;" |6

| style="background:#ff9;" |4

| style="background:#ff9;" |Partly Free

| style="background:#ff9;" | Ahmadou Ahidjo

align=center

| align=left | 1974

| style="background:#ff9;" |6

| style="background:#ff9;" |4

| style="background:#ff9;" |Partly Free

| style="background:#ff9;" |Ahmadou Ahidjo

align=center

| align=left | 1975

| style="background:#ff9;" |6

| style="background:#ff9;" |4

| style="background:#ff9;" |Partly Free

| style="background:#ff9;" |Ahmadou Ahidjo

align=center

| align=left | 1976

| style="background:#99f;" |7

| style="background:#99f;" |5