



The Publication Manager for the newspaper Kalara , Christophe Bobiokono and his colleague, journalist Irène Mbezele, are the individuals involved, ActuCameroun reports.

The Publication Manager for the newspaper, which focuses on legal and judiciary issues, posted about the situation on his Facebook page. This post, written from the perspective of the newspaper, informs the public of the threat of imprisonment which was directed at himself and the journalist Irène Mbezele.

Bobiokono writes: “Kalara must inform the public, and especially journalists and other Human Rights defenders that Irène Mbezele, journalist, and Christophe Bobiokono, Publication Manager, member of the National Communication Council and of the National Commission for Human Rights and Liberties, were summoned to the Regional Delegation for National Security this Wednesday morning (1st April 2020) in connection with the execution of two warrants of imprisonment for a term of two years issued against them on 20 December 2019 by a panel of judges of the Court of First Instance (CFI) of Yaoundé (Administrative Centre),”

Bobiokono further states that he and his colleague had been given two suspended sentences on the 20th of December 2019, following a correctional hearing. They were sentenced for acts of “defamation” and “contempt of court”, after a complaint was lodged against them by Faustine Fotso, lawyer and Member of the National Assembly at the time of the events. The pair were also ordered to pay fines of 3 million CFA-Francs and 10 million in damages, not including legal costs.

“Furthermore, the judges decided to issue immediately executable warrants of incarceration for two (2) years each against the two journalists, if they failed to pay the sums relating to court costs and fines imposed immediately. This verdict, read top speed by judges obviously in a hurry to get rid of this court file, which could have been trivial under ordinary circumstances, was not promptly executed, contrary to custom. Moreover, despite all due diligence, the parties concerned were never notified. The lawyers voluntarily assigned to defend the newspaper and the journalists naturally applied to appeal, as is provided for by law, and paid the necessary fees for doing so. And for the last THREE (3) MONTHS, the judicial system has resumed its tortoise-like pace for this case, which is waiting to be listed at the Central Court of Appeal.”

Kalara therefore allegedly only learnt two days prior to the time of writing that the the President of the Court of First Instance of Yaoundé wrote to the Head of the Regional Division of the Judicial Police on the 26th of March 2020, requesting the execution of the warrants.

Kalara views this threat of imprisonment weighing upon Bobiokono and Mbezele as a simple attempt to kill investigative journalism in Cameroon.