Cameroon: 23 MRC Members to Appear Before Supreme Court Over Protest Sentences

On October 10, 2024, 23 members of the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon (MRC) are set to appear before the Supreme Court of Cameroon for a preliminary hearing.

This follows their appeals against five-year prison sentences issued by the Military Tribunal in December 2021 and later confirmed by the Court of Appeal in November 2022. The sentences stem from their participation in peaceful protests on September 22, 2020, which contested the results of the 2018 presidential election.

The upcoming hearing will assess whether the consolidated appeals are admissible. Should the Supreme Court accept the appeals, further hearings will delve into the merits of the case, determining if the convictions will be upheld or overturned. The MRC has maintained that these members are "political prisoners," unjustly sentenced for exercising their right to peaceful protest, and is hoping for a favorable decision from the country's highest court.

The list of the 23 members involved includes:

1. BAMOU Jean Evalis  
2. DJONTU Serges Honoré  
3. FOSSOUO Zacharie  
4. FOUEYE Xavier  
5. FOUMOUO DJOUMESSE Steve Jodel  
6. KAMDOUM Carlos  
7. KAMNANG TCHINDA Cyrille  
8. KOPWA DJENOU Patrick  
9. KUATCHE Jean  
10. KENNE Jean Fernand  
11. LONTSI NGOUFO Vitalis  
12. MBEH Gabriel  
13. MELI MANFO Ghislain  
14. POUOSSI KAMDEM Emmanuel  
15. SOP TCHIEDJOU Jules  
16. TAKAM Louis Bernard  
17. TAMOHOUE Charles  
18. TCHITCHOUA Jean Roger  
19. TEFOBEAU Gérard Alain  
20. WAFO Éric Sylvain  
21. WAMBA Bosco  
22. ZANGUE DOUANLA Thierry  
23. ZANGUE Denis Ghislain  

This case is pivotal for the MRC as it challenges the judicial process that has led to the imprisonment of its members. The party hopes that the Supreme Court will overturn the convictions and secure their release, viewing their continued detention as a product of political repression in Cameroon.