Cameroon
Cameroon Military Courts (June 2024)
Cameroon has witnessed a rapid deterioration of the rule of law and human rights since late 2016 with the outbreak of the conflict between the Cameroonian government and Anglophone separatists. This has led to an increase in the harassment, intimidation, and persecution of human rights defenders, particularly lawyers and journalists who have been at the forefront in the struggle for justice and the promotion of human rights. Many of these defenders have been arrested, detained, tortured, or even killed while carrying out their work, leaving many in fear for their lives. The Cameroonian government has responded to the crisis by cracking down on civic space, including counter-terrorism laws to try civilian human rights defenders and journalists in military courts. This report analyzes the use of military courts in Cameroon to try human rights defenders, including journalists, lawyers, and others in the context of Cameroon’s ongoing Anglophone Crisis. The use of such tools to persecute human rights defenders advocating for the rights of Cameroon’s Anglophone minority contravenes Cameroon’s international, regional, and national legal obligations.