A Cameroon court has overturned the conviction of two men who were sentenced for five years in prison for "looking gay"and ordering Bailey's Irish Cream.

The Court of Appeals has acquitted the men and ordered their release.

The two men had already spent more than a year in jail where they were subjected to abuse from guards and other prisoners, human rights workers said.

Lawyer Alice N'Kom claims the sentence was due to the pair's choice of drink, among other stereotypes.

She explained: "The judge who originally sentenced them had stated that the way they dressed, the way they spoke, and the fact that they drank Bailey's Irish Cream proved they were gay."

Homosexuality is punishable under Cameroonian law by a sentence of between six months and five years.

Belfast Telegraph