Cameroon: Authorities must reveal the whereabouts of a journalist arrested three months ago
In addition, Ahmed Abba has been deprived of his right to be brought promptly before an ordinary civilian court, as well as the right to challenge the lawfulness of his detention. It is unclear if any charges have been brought against him.
“Whatever the reason for Ahmed Abba’s arrest is, there can be no justification for secret detention. Both international human rights law and Cameroonian national law require that he has regular access to a lawyer and that any charges against him be made public,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, Amnesty International Central Africa researcher.
“Holding someone in secret detention increases the risks of torture and other ill-treatment. Cameroonian authorities have committed to upholding human rights standards in all circumstances, and this can be no exception”
Since 2014 the Cameroonian authorities have arrested more than 1,000 people for allegedly supporting Boko Haram. Many are held in inhumane detention conditions in overcrowded prisons, with extremely long delays before facing trial.
In September 2015 Amnesty International met a number of detainees in Yaoundé who reported having been ill-treated while being held without access to lawyers or families.
