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Cameroonian President Orders De-Crowding of Prisons to Combat COVID-19

Moki Edwin Kindzeka

   YAOUNDE - Cameroon's president has announced steps that will lead to
   the release of thousands of prisoners due to concerns about the
   coronavirus spreading in overcrowded facilities. However, separatists
   fighting for an independent English-speaking state and officials jailed
   for corruption are excluded. Rights groups also note that Biya's
   political opponents and journalists critical of his rule will remain
   behind bars.

   Since late Wednesday, Cameroon state radio has read out an order signed
   by President Paul Biya to decrease crowding in the central African
   state's 78 prisons.

   "The president of the republic hereby decrees as follows. Article 1.
   Persons whose sentences have become final as at the date of signature
   of this decree shall benefit from remissions as follows. One.
   Commutation of the death sentence to life imprisonment in favor of
   persons initially sentenced to death."

   Under the presidential decision, life sentences are reduced to 25
   years, those for whom life sentences had already been reduced to 25
   years will have five years taken off their sentences. Ten-year
   sentences will be cut by three years, five-year sentences will be cut
   by two years, and three-year sentences will be cut by one year.

   Lawyer Luc Kisob who argues the government's position in corruption and
   terrorism cases, said not everyone will benefit from the initiative,
   although Biya has the constitutional power to free whoever he wants.

   "The constitution authorizes the head of state to commute and to remit
   sentences of convicts. The prerogative rests therefore on the head of
   state to choose who to pardon or who not to pardon, and in this case
   certain kinds of offenses have been excluded from those who shall
   benefit from the measure, like offenses of terrorism, misappropriation
   of public property, tax fraud, customs fraud, sexual offenses or
   offenses which touch on the security of the state," said the lawyer.

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