Cameroon authorities must come clean on the reality of the spread of #COVID19 in the country’s prisons
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Ilaria Allegrozzi is the Senior Central Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch, focusing primarily on Cameroon. Following the report from Amnesty International pertaining to the prison conditions in Cameroon amid COVID-19, this is what she has to reiterate on her twitter page “#Cameroon: authorities must come clean on the reality of the spread of #COVID19 in the country’s prisons, provide detainees with adequate medical care and stop exacerbating overcrowding with arbitrary arrests, says @AmnestyWARO”
The conditions of the prisons in Cameroon are not friendly to the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. This is because there are overcrowded and thus making it very difficult for prisoners to maintain general hygiene and social distancing. several human rights bodies have alerted and encourage the government authorities to release prisoners with minor crimes including, the minors, those with health problems, women, and political prisoners. some of the rights bodies include #CHRDA
The government authorities have, after pressure from Human Rights Organizations and individuals, remit and commute prison terms of some prisoners. This act has led to the released of hundreds of prisoners countrywide. Human Rights and Legal Research Centre is joining the voices of rights groups both national and international to encourage the government authorities to release prisoners.
Read the full report from Amnesty International relating to prisons conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon by clicking the link: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/05/cameroon-authorities-must-urgently-protect-detainees/
Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
