* News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International *

25 October 2002
AFR 17/008/2002

Amnesty International is urging the Cameroonian authorities to
immediately release Albert Mukong, a former executive director of the Human
Rights Defence Group (HRDG) and a reputable human rights defender, who was
arrested on 28 September by the gendarmerie at Ayukaba, in South West
Province. He has since been held at Mamfe Gendarmerie Station.

Amnesty International considers Albert Mukong to be a prisoner of
conscience. "Albert Mukong is being is being held solely for speaking out
about the right to self-determination of the Anglophone provinces and for
acting as an adviser to the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC),
which campaigns for self-determination for the English-speaking minority in
Cameroon," the organization said.

"His arrest is further testimony of Cameroon's clear lack of respect for
international standards protecting human rights defenders," Amnesty
International added. Such standards include the Johannesburg Declaration on
Human Rights Defenders in Africa of 1998, and the 1998 United
NationsDeclaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups
and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human
Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Pa Ayamba and Nfor N. Nfor, two of the main leaders of SCNC, were arrested
together with Albert Mukong. Nfor N. Nfor was subsequently released,
apparently because his poor health deteriorated.

Agbor Nfaw Joseph, Enow John Enow, Tabe Daniel Agbor, Tambe Atem Valery and
Ojong Samuel Ndip, all members of the SCNC, were arrested on 27 September.
They were taken to Mamfe Gendarmerie station as well, where they are still
being held.

"We fear that these people might have been arrested solely for their
peaceful political activities. Other members of SCNC might have also been
arrested for the same reasons in other parts of Cameroon over the past
weeks. Our organisation urges the Cameroonian authorities to release all
the detainees unless they are charged with a recognisable criminal
offence", Amnesty International said.

Cameroonian law requires detainees to be referred to a judicial authority
to be either charged or released within 72 hours of arrest. No charges have
yet been brought against any of the above-mentioned detainees.

"The Cameroonian authorities should respect rights of freedom of
association and expression. People exercising these rights must not be
arbitrarily detained. They should be presumed innocent as long as they are
not judged, must have prompt access to legal counsel of choice, the right
to a fair and public trial by an independent court and the right to appeal
against judgement and sentence," Amnesty said.

Background
The SCNC advocates increased autonomy for Cameroon's English-speaking
minority and supports independence for the English-speaking North-West and
South-West Provinces.

On 1 October 1961, the Anglophone provinces attained independence and
joined the Francophone regions in a federal State. In 1972, federal state
institutions were replaced by a unitary state in which the French-speaking
community is predominant.

Every year, around 1 October, political groups throughout the
English-speaking Southwest and Northwest provinces call for demonstrations
to protest against what they claim is marginalisation in national politics
and to demand greater political rights.

The authorities attributed armed attacks in March 1997 in North West
province to the SCNC and the affiliated Southern Cameroon Youth League
(SCYL). Ten people, including three gendarmes, died during these attacks.
At least ten people arrested in connection with the attacks died as a
result of torture and ill-treatment at the time of their arrest or
subsequent lack of medical care in detention.

In October 1999, 36 alleged SCNC supporters were convicted, after an unfair
and politically-motivated trial before a military tribunal in the capital,
Yaoundé, of offences relating to the attacks in North-West Province. Three
were sentenced to life imprisonment and the others to prison terms of up to
20 years. Eighteen remain imprisoned at the Kondengui Central Prison in
Yaoundé.

Political detainees and criminal suspects in Cameroon are routinely
tortured or ill-treated. The conditions of detention in police stations,
gendarmerie detention centres and prisons are extremely harsh. Severe
overcrowding, poor hygiene and ventilation, inadequate food and medical
care results in a high mortality rate amongst detainees.

****************************************************************
You may repost this message onto other sources provided the main text is
not altered in any way and both the header crediting Amnesty International
and this footer remain intact. Only the list subscription message may be
removed.
****************************************************************