Cameroon gay sex ruling overturned

Two men jailed in Cameroon for homosexual acts have had their conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal. Their lawyer, Ms Alice Nkom, said that their conviction had been based on stereotypes and not on evidence that homosexual acts had taken place.

At the time of their arrest, the two men were dressed in women’s clothing and were wearing make-up, but were not witnessed doing anything illegal. Other evidence cited as proof of their sexual orientation included “the way they spoke and the fact that they drank Bailey’s Irish Cream,” said Ms Nkom.

Homosexuality is illegal in Cameroon and the pair were sentenced to five years in jail at the time of their conviction in November 2011. They had already served over a year of the sentence when their conviction was quashed in January 2013. Jean-Claude Roger Mbede remains in prison after the Court of Appeal upheld the sentence for his conviction of homosexuality for expressing his love for another man.

Ms Nkom sees both convictions as a violation of the law, since none of the men were actually caught committing a crime, and hopes that Mbede will soon be released.

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