PEN INTERNATIONAL, WRITERS IN PRISON COMMITTEE

DAY OF THE IMPRISONED WRITER

15 NOVEMBER 2010

CAMEROON

Robert Mintya, Newspaper Editor

The Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of PEN International

is seriously concerned about the health of Robert Mintya,
editor of the newspaper Le Devoir, who has been imprisoned
pending trial for alleged forgery since February 2010. Mintya
was briefly hospitalised in late August after being attacked
by another prisoner and on 28 September was transferred to
a psychiatric hospital. If convicted, he and his co-defendant
will face up to 20 years in prison.

Robert Mintya was arrested and briefly detained in early February 2010, along with
editors Germain “Bibi” Ngota Ngota (Cameroun Express) and Serge Sabouang (La
Nation), and journalist Simon Hervé Nko’o (Bebela). The journalists had been
investigating alleged corruption involving Laurent Esso, Secretary General of the
President’s Office, and the state-run oil company, National Hydrocarbons Company
(SNH), of which Esso is also board chairman. Nko’o, who was reportedly tortured while
in custody, went into hiding following his release.

Mintya, Sabouang and Ngota were re-arrested on 26 February and charged with forging
Esso’s signature in a document and using it in an attempt to discredit him. All three were
transferred to Kondengui prison in the capital Yaoundé on 10 March.

Ngota’s health deteriorated in custody and on 22

April he died due to a lack of medical attention,
according to his death certificate. The Cameroonian
government has denied this and allegations that
Ngota had been tortured, stating that he had tested
positive for HIV while in prison and had died of
infections arising from this condition. His wife
refutes this.

On 8 August, Mintya was reportedly beaten around the head by another prison inmate,
causing him to lose consciousness. He was admitted to the prison infirmary and on 25
August was transferred to Yaoundé central hospital. However, he was reportedly given
only limited access to medical care and was returned to his prison cell a few days later.

It is thought that the attack on Mintya may have been a reprisal for his implication of
other people in the forgery case. Mintya was reportedly told that he would be freed if he
signed a statement saying that he had been led astray and wrote a number of letters to
Esso apologising for the forgery, some of which were published in L’Anecdote, a
newspaper that supports Esso. When he failed to secure his release, Mintya reportedly
wrote more letters accusing other leading Cameroonian personalities of being behind the
forgery.

On 28 September Mintya was reportedly transferred to a psychiatric hospital. His

deteriorating state of health and lack of adequate medical treatment are extremely
alarming, especially considering Ngota’s death in custody.

Mintya and Sabouang reportedly face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Background
Another Cameroonian journalist recently denied medical care in prison is La Détente
Libre publisher Lewis Medjo, who was released from prison in May after serving 20
months in prison for allegedly “publishing false news” about President Biya. Medjo
suffered serious health problems while in jail which went largely untreated, causing him
to lose hearing in one ear. He has reportedly suffered ongoing threats and harassment
since his release.

Singer-songwriter Lapiro de Mbanga (aka Pierre Roger Lambo Sandjo) – one of the
cases highlighted for last year’s Day of the Imprisoned Writer – remains behind bars.
Mbanga’s final appeal and request for parole have still not been considered by the
Supreme Court despite having served two and a half years of a three-year prison
sentence for allegedly taking part in anti-government riots in 2008.

The WiPC protests the pre-trial detention since February 2010 of editors Robert
Mintya and Serge Sabouang. It calls for their immediate and unconditional release,
as well as that of singer-songwriter Lapiro de Mbanga, all detained in violation of
their right to freedom of expression. Noting the 22 April death in custody of
Germain “Bibi” Ngota Ngota, attributed to lack of medical attention, the WiPC also
calls on the Cameroonian authorities to ensure that Mintya receives adequate
healthcare while he remains in detention.

What you can do:

Write letters of appeal to President Paul Biya following the guidelines above and
send them to your nearest diplomatic representative for Cameroon. Details of
some Cameroonian embassies can be seen here:
http://www.embassiesabroad.com/embassies-in/Cameroon

You may also send appeals directly to:

President Paul Biya

Fax: +237 22 22 08 70
Email: cellcom@prc.cm
Messages may also be sent via the Presidency’s website:
http://www.prc.cm/index_en.php?link=messenger/write_pr
(Please note that these contact details are correct but problems using them have been
reported, hence it is preferable to send appeals via your nearest embassy.)

Please send copies of any replies you may receive from the authorities to Tamsin
Mitchell at PEN International in London.
For further information please contact Tamsin Mitchell at PEN International
Writers in Prison Committee, Brownlow House, 50/51 High Holborn, London WC1V
6ER, Tel.+ 44 (0) 20 7405 0338, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7405 0339, email:
tamsin.mitchell@internationalpen.org.uk