European Parliament urges immediate release of five detained Cameroonian journalists

The European Parliament, EU, in a 10 points resolution adopted Thursday, April 3, 2025 called for the immediate release of five Cameroonian journalists namely;

Kingsley Fomunyuy Njoka, Mancho Bibixy, Thomas Awah Jr, Tsi Conrad and former of Director General of Cameroon Radio and Television, CRTV, Amadou Vamoulké imprisoned since July 2016 on suspicion of embezzling public funds. 

“Strongly condemns repeated attacks on journalists, including killings, physical violence and arbitrary detentions, continued pressure on critical media outlets and reporting bans,”

“Strongly condemns the continued detention of journalists Amadou Vamoulké since 2016, Kingsley Fomunyuy Njoka since 2020, Mancho Bibixy since 2017, Thomas Awah Junior since 2017 and Tsi Conrad since 2016, all sentenced to long prison sentence in trials that failed to meet due process standards” the communique reads.

EU deeply regrets the absence of effective investigations and accountability in past cases of killing of journalists, including in the cases of Martinez Zogo, Jean-Jacques Ola Bebe and Anye Nde Nsoh in 2023 as well as of Samuel Wazizi who died while forcibly disappeared in 2019.

EU urged Cameroonian authorities to release all journalists, media professionals, activists and lawyers arbitrarily detained for exercising their human rights, ensure their right to a fair trial, and provide full accountability for the killings of journalists and attacks on civilians.

EU further urged Cameroonian authorities to end the practice of trying civilians in military courts and stop abusively invoking terrorism, anti-state and “false news” charges in cases against journalists.

“Everything is wrong with this case: on the merits, there is evidence proving Amadou Vamoulké’s innocence; procedurally, both judgments were issued illegally under Cameroonian law,” said Sadibou Marong, director of RSF’s sub-Saharan Africa office. 

The authorities must act urgently and release these journalists, who suffers from multiple health problems.” The European Parliament's resolution also addresses the detention of journalists and media professionals covering the conflict in Cameroon's North West and South West regions.

BY SNK

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Cross section of EU parliamentarians

Communique endorsed by EU