Cameroon: two Crossdressers, Shakiro and Patricia accused of homosexuality set free after two months in detention
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Arrested on 8 February 2021 and later sentence to 5years imprisonment on 11 May 2021, Njeukam Loïc alias Shakiro and Mouthe Roland alias Patricia were reportedly set free on 13 July 2021 from detention said Bar. Alice Nkom on her official Facebook Page. The circumstances leading to their released still remains that they have won the legal battle in court.
Shakiro on 13 July 2021 on their Facebook page also expresses gratitude to REDHAC for standing by them “That’s the smile of the victory, the sigh full of joy and gratitude. Thanks to REDHAC for the endless support and unconditional devotion. I love you mom”
The arrest and detention of the two crossdressers have been welcomed with criticism both at the national and international levels. the release has been celebrated by Bar. Alice Nkom on her media platforms
What happened?
Loic Midrel popularly known as Shakiro and Mouthe Roland known as Patricia were arrested by security forces on 8 February 2021 in Douala, Cameroon and charged with the following crimes; homosexuality, indecency and non-possession of national identity cards.
On 11 May 2021, Shakiro and Patricia were both sentenced to 5-year imprisonment each by the Court of First Instance Bonanjo in Douala,
In addition to the 5-year jail terms, they were fined by the court to pay a sum of 200,000FCFA each. According to the Cameroon Penal code, the two will have to serve 12 extra months imprisonment if the money is not paid.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights have continuously been relegated in Africa Cameroon inclusive. Despite calls from the Western World for Africans to embraced LGBT, most African countries have maintained their stand against what is considered in Africa as unacceptable.
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.
