The detained for political reasons German Wilfried S. has been charged in Cameroon before a military court. This is confirmed by the Foreign Office to SPIEGEL. It has been observed with a consular representative of the first trial before the Tribunal in Yaoundé, it says from the Ministry.
Graduate engineer S. has been detained in the Central African country for more than seven months. He visited relatives in Cameroon in February 2019 with his wife and the then 11 months and three year old children. At the end of the holiday he was arrested a few hours before the return flight.
Cameroon's authorities accuse S. of destabilizing the state of Cameroon and causing a rebellion. He is also accused of destroying state property. Apparently, the authorities are using photos that S. had on his digital camera as well as his participation in government-critical WhatsApp groups.
The charges brought against the German and the fact that he faces a military tribunal are all similar to what Cameroon's judiciary is currently attempting against its opponents, including Maurice Kamto, opposition leader and runner-up in the recent presidential election. Frau von S. told SPIEGEL that although her husband sympathized with the ideas of some oppositionists, during his time in Cameroon he was not politically active.
Amnesty International: Anti-terrorism law turns off opposition
Henri Kouokam, the lawyer of S., told the SPIEGEL that the charge of rebellion could stand the death penalty. A dossier that circulates on the Internet and should summarize the allegations against S. consist of "huge falsehoods," said the lawyer.
The death penalty can be imposed in Cameroon on the basis of a 2014 anti-terror law. It has been pronounced more than a hundred times since 2015, but not executed. According to the law, a disturbance of public order is enough to be considered a terrorist.
For the human rights organization Amnesty International, the law is "a serious restriction of the right to freedom of expression". It allows the government to effectively eliminate the opposition. "Any involvement that does not take place in the governing party RDPC endangers the individuals involved, including peaceful participation in demonstrations or gatherings."
Cameroon has been ruled by Paul Biya for 36 years. Its seventh re-election in the fall of 2018 was accompanied by fraud allegations. Opposition leader Kamto was arrested in January 2019 after publicly proclaiming himself the winner and accusing Biya of manipulating the election. It was the prelude to several waves of arrests in which hundreds of oppositionists were arrested.
The current trial before the military court against S. is not the only one against the German engineer in Cameroon. Defense attorney Kouokam told SPIEGEL that his client had already been sentenced to three years in a civil court in late August for involvement in a prison revolt. On the other hand, they have appealed.