Ottawa (National Times)-A renowned Canadian based human rights group, Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) says the trial and conviction of Mancho Bibixy in April 2018 violated his fundamental rights and dignity as well as the principle of justice.
In a recently published article, the body argues that charges brought against the radio broadcaster “violated the principle of legal certainty and the sentence failed to respect dignity and rights, and failed to satisfy the principle of necessity, the prerequisite of injustice and the principle of guilt.”
LRWC also stated that following a letter it sent to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), the case of Mancho Bibixy is being reviewed. More submissions were made on February 5, and 14, 2019 to that effect and one of the Lawyers was Cameroonian Born Barrister Felix Nkongho Balla, the declaration mentioned.
The body holds that, Mancho Bibixy was arrested and charged with “acts of terrorism,” “secession,” “propagation of false information,” “revolution,” insurrection,” contempt of public bodies and public servants,” and “hostility against the homeland” because he reported on “injustices suffered by Anglophone Cameroonians.”
In the meantime, the WGAD continuous to review the case of Mancho Bibixy with also counter evidences from the government of Cameroon. It should be pointed out that Mancho Bibixy led a protest march at the Bamenda Commercial Avenue on November 21, 2016 demanding for better roads and the resignation of the Government Delegate to the City Council, Vincent Ndumu. Being organized at the same time with Lawyers and Teachers, the demonstration spread like wildfire.
The protest march which became known as the “coffin revolution” because Mancho carried alongside a coffin declaring his willingness to die for the course attracted other disgruntled Anglophones who transformed it from a call for better roads to more rights for Anglophone minority.
He was arrested in January 2017 following the manhunt launched by the government on several activists then including the Felix NkonghoBalla, Dr Fontem, Chief Justice Ayah Paul and others. While some were released under unclear conditions by Paul Biya, he was remanded in custody and in April sentenced by the military court to 15 years imprisonment.
