Tiktoker Junior Ngombe has been release, a win for the promotion and protection of Human Rights in Cameroon
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After several days in detention, a Cameroonian social media activist, Junior Ngombe has been release on 31 July 2024. A 23 year old activist and hairdresser was arrested and detained after publishing videos on TikTok advocating for participation in democratic processes in Cameroon ahead of the upcoming elections in 2025.
The release is coming after national and international human rights organizations have put in more efforts advocating and calling on the government authorities to release him. Human Rights Watch in their statement called on the government authorities respect freedom of expression and the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa terms the arrest and detention has arbitrary
Barrister Akere Muna, one of the lead lawyer was seen with Junior after his release. Among other consortium of lawyers and civil society organization like CHRDA, Un Mond Avenir, etc, his release was a collective effort from both the civil society Organizations, the media and human rights lawyers. After his release, Junior pledge to continue promoting the culture of democracy in Cameroon.
As reported by Human Rights Watch in a statement, Junior Ngombe was arrested on July 24 outside his shop in Douala by men claiming to be intelligence officers and he faced charges of “incitement to rebellion” and “propagation of false information,” which his lawyers believe are connected to his social media posts.
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.
