After months of uncertainty, the Cameroon government has finally admitted that Cameroon journalist Samuel Wazizi died in prison shortly after his arrest. Wazizi, whose legal name is Samuel Ajiekah Abuwe, was arrested in August 2019 for his critical reporting on the government’s handling of the separatist conflict in Cameroon. Since his arrest Wazizi’s lawyer, Emmanuel Nkea, supported by Media Defence, had been trying to establish his whereabouts and what had happened to him. The government had fiercely resisted those efforts at every stage of the various legal proceedings brought. A full and through investigation into Wazizi’s death is now an imperative, and the government must hold to account all of those responsible for his death and for covering up his disappearance for over ten months.
See international media coverage here:
https://www.africanews.com/2020/06/05/outrage-over-death-of-cameroonian-journalist-wazizi/
https://www.voanews.com/africa/cameroon-journalists-blast-government-silence-case-missing-colleague
https://www.journalducameroun.com/en/cameroon-govt-finally-is
If you are a journalist in need of support, please click here.
If you would like to help us support journalists through donating funds or pro-bono work, please click here.
Recent News
Women’s History Month: Journalists who inspire us
Threats and violence against women journalists endanger important democratic values, including freedom of expression and the right to information. Despite significant risks, women continue to investigate abuses of power—and we applaud those who are laying the groundwork for a better future. Whether covering instability wrought by war or how corruption impacts local farmers, every journalist […]
We’re recruiting: Legal Officer
About Media Defence Media Defence is a charity that helps media to defend their rights. We support independent media, journalists and citizen journalists who are under legal threat by making sure that lawyers are available to defend them. We engage in strategic litigation to improve the regulatory environment for media freedom, make grants to organisations […]
Les lois sur les “fake news” sont-elles le meilleur moyen de lutter contre la désinformation?
En décembre 2021, la Grèce a rejoint la liste croissante des pays qui légifèrent contre les “fausses nouvelles” (ou « fake news » en anglais). La modification du code pénal vise à poursuivre les citoyens grecs qui diffusent de fausses informations pendant la pandémie de COVID-19. Tout citoyen diffusant de fausses informations sur la santé publique risque […]