In Cameroon, the international association of press publishers continues to demand the immediate and unconditional release of Thierry Patrick Ondoua, publishing director of the newspaper Le Point Biweeklydetained for almost a week in a Yaoundé police station, while journalist Atia Azonhwi kidnapped last Friday in Bamenda in the northwest of the country was released by his captors this weekend.
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With our correspondent in Yaoundé, Richard Onanena
The release of Atia Tilarious Azonhwi was confirmed by an association of English-speaking Cameroonian journalists (Camasej). The association called for his release the day after his kidnapping. According to Jude Viban, president of the association, the journalist who had not yet spoken about the conditions of his kidnapping is doing well.
Another atmosphere at the writing of Point Biweekly. Its publishing director Thierry Patrick Ondoua has still been detained since October 22. He was responding to a summons to the regional directorate of the judicial police for false news, defamation and contempt of established bodies. According to his collaborators, his arrest is linked to a published investigation into a mix-up between the Ministry of Housing and the Cameroon real estate company surrounding the construction of social housing. The International Association of Press Publishers considers that his incarceration is “ an attack on freedom of the press and freedom of expression “.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which also took up the matter, recalls that Cameroon is the third country in sub-Saharan Africa with the most journalists detained, 6 of whom have been detained since December 1, 2023.
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