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CAMPAIGN NEWS
07 October 2009

Cameroon:
International lawyers support imprisoned singer Lapiro

The case against singer Lapiro de Mbanga has gained increased international attention as Freedom Now, a US based lawyers’ advocacy organisation, is now officially monitoring his case.

In an interview with Radio France International in the first week of October 2009, Maran Turner, executive director of Freedom Now, said:

“Musicians [such as Lapiro] that decide to become politically active and utilize their music as a tool to voice dissent are in my mind nothing short of magic and exceptionally powerful and more meaningful to the people in Cameroon, than I think, anything else.”

About Freedom Now
The mission of Freedom Now is “to free prisoners of conscience through focused legal, political, and public relations advocacy efforts.”

Václav Havel, former president of the Czech Republic and Desmond M. Tutu, archbishop emeritus of Cape Town are honorary co-chairs of Freedom Now. The organisation is currently involved in several campaigns, including a release petition for Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Lapiro with typhoid fever
Freemuse has submitted substantial documentation of the case to Freedom Now. Freemuse executive director, Marie Korpe, says:

“This is a very important addition to the international campaigns for the release of Lapiro de Mbanga. The case against Lapiro shows how far a repressive regime will go in silencing oppositional voices and that they acknowledge and fear that music can be a very powerful tool for oppositional voices.”

Lapiro de Mbanga has — according to local sources — been suffering from effects of typhoid fever for several months. Freemuse recently succeeded in talking to Lapiro in the prison. He told Freemuse that the prison does not allow him to get sufficient medical aid from outside.

Last week his lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court that Lapiro is released on health grounds till his case comes up in the court (again) later this year.

International PEN focuses on Lapiro
The International PEN Writers in Prison Committees has decided to focus on Lapiro de Mbanga's case on the Day of the Imprisoned Writer — as one of five cases which on 15 November 2009 will be commemorated for their courage and celebrated for their defence of freedom of expression. On this day, PEN members send appeals and organise a variety of events, honouring their imprisoned colleagues.


Click to read more about Lapiro de Mbanga's case
 Lapiro



Click to sign petition
 Sign petition




Click to go to freedom-now.org
 Freedom Now
 was founded
 in 2002






Click to read more about music censorship in Cameroon
 Cameroon





Click to listen to Lapiro's banned song

freedom-now.org


International PEN:
'Songwriter sentenced to three years’ imprisonment'


Click to go to International Pen's home page

Click to sign the petition online

Sign Freemuse petition for immidiate
release of Lapiro de Mbanga



Read and listen

Radio France International – 16 October 2009:
'Campaign to free Cameroon singer Lapiro de Mbanga'

This RFI radio report by Daniel Brown includes interviews of Augustin and Maran, lawyers in Cameroon and the US who are working to have Lapiro released



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100 languages for Lapiro

Do you speak Corean, Polish, Basque, Mooré Swedish, Wolof or any other language? Then you can join a project on MyMondoMix.com to help Lapiro de Mbanga.

During a number of weeks, musicians who use the MyMondomix network are working together to help Lapiro. They are preparing a compilation that will be distributed free of charge to all Internet users who sign a petition to have Lapiro liberated. The musicians have already come far and are working on the way this compilation should sound.

And that’s where they need your help. To create a transition from one song to another, they will use voices saying in different languages what the compilation is about. If you'd like to help the musicians, what you have to do is:


1. Translate into your language this sentence: »In Cameroon, the singer Lapiro is still imprisoned, because one of his songs was not well received by the authorities «.

2. Say this sentence as if you were a speaker giving news on a radio

3. Record yourself doing that

4. Send the recording as an mp3 file to the email-address:
.


About MyMondoMix.com
MyMondoMix.com is an on-line service allowing our members to create unique personal profiles which can be connected through networks.

mymondomix.com


Go to top
Related reading on freemuse.org

Press release: New Freemuse CD: Listen to the banned
The new Freemuse CD 'Listen to the banned' is a unique collection of 14 contemporary songs by artists who have been censored
24 February 2010
Cameroon / USA: American lawyers prepare UN petition for Lapiro
Cameroon keeping Lapiro imprisoned is a violation of international law, argues a team of four lawyers from a US law firm
25 January 2010
CD: 'Listen to the banned'
Compiled by the artist Deeyah and Freemuse, this CD compilation album is published on 3 March 2010 by Norway's most successful music label, Grappa Records
25 January 2010
Cameroon: Free-for-download album in support of Lapiro de Mbanga
Mondomix has launched a free-for-download album in support of the imprisoned cameroonian singer Lapiro de Mbanga
06 January 2010
Cameroon: Lapiro de Mbanga wins global award
Imprisoned musician Lapiro de Mbanga is the 2009 winner of the 'Freedom to Create' Imprisoned Artist Prize
25 November 2009
Cameroon: Lapiro shortlisted for global award
High profiled panel points at imprisoned musician Lapiro for the final shortlist of The Orient Global Freedom to Create Prize
26 October 2009
Cameroon: International lawyers support imprisoned singer Lapiro
Freedom Now, a US based lawyers’ advocacy organisation, is now officially monitoring singer Lapiro de Mbanga's case
07 October 2009
Cameroon: Lapiro is the one who has to pay for all
In this complicated case, there are problems of leadership, tribalism and politics. Lapiro de Mbanga’s case is a political persecution in disguise, writes journalist Jen Bell
09 July 2009
Cameroon: Interview with human rights advocate about Lapiro's case
“This was an unfair trial. Now there must be lobbying actions,” said Dr Hilaire Kamga is president of NHRC, New Human Rights Cameroon, about Lapiro's court case
03 July 2009
Cameroon: Interview with Lapiro de Mbanga
"This is the trial of the voiceless," said singer Lapiro de Mbanga when he was interviewed just a few hours before a court hearing on 24 June 2009 in Douala, Cameroon
03 July 2009
Cameroon: Lapiro's case taken to Supreme Court of Appeal
“We are full of hope”, said Lapiro de Mbanga’s lawyer, Me Augustin Mbami, in an interview about which procedures are to be undertaken next, after losing the Appeal Court
02 July 2009
Cameroon: Singer Lapiro de Mbanga loses appeal court
Cameroon power system strikes back at the popular singer Lapiro de Mbanga. It seems obvious that he has not got a fair trial, says Freemuse programme officer
25 June 2009
Cameroon: New verdict, same prison sentence to Lapiro
Lapiro de Mbanga’s sentence of three years imprisonment and the fine of FCFA 280 millions was confirmed at a court hearing on 24 June 2009 in Douala, reported Jen Bell
25 June 2009
Cameroon: Singer Mbanga - Flurry in the court room
Singer Lapiro found himself leaving the court's witness box on 13 and 15 May 2009 without a verdict. The adjournments of his case appear to be never-ending
25 May 2009
Cameroun: Singer Mbanga faces endless hearings
False evidence, delays and rumors appear to play an essential role in keeping the popular singer Lapiro de Mbanga in prison
23 April 2009
Cameroun: Musician Lapiro de Mbanga faces new trial
Musician Lapiro de Mbanga faces a new trial on 20 March 2009 because of accusations that a song of his led to the destruction of a banana plantation
11 February 2009
Cameroun: New campaign for release of Lapiro
Vigier, the company that has supplied the singer Lapiro de Mbanga with a guitar, launches a new campaign for the release of the Cameroonese musician
17 December 2008
Cameroun: Singer sentenced to three years in jail
Lapiro de Mbanga was sentenced to three years in jail for taking part in anti-government riots. He is the author of several songs criticising the Cameroonian government.
25 September 2008
Cameroun: Appeal for songwriter detained for his lyrics
International Pen Writers in Prison Committee sent this appeal on 7 august 2008 protesting the arrest and four-month detention of singer-songwriter Lapiro de Mbanga
07 August 2008
Cameroun: Singer taken to court in chains
Lapiro de Mbanga was in chains when he was brought to a court room on 9 July 2008, accused of causing anti-government riots. His case was adjourned to 23 July
15 July 2008