Danish Dari German Spanish French Turkish Arabic
Click here to go to start page Click here to go to start page
Search Sort content by country/region Sort content by artist Sort content by subject
News stories world-wide
About music censorship
Artists on censorship
About Freemuse
Publications
Study room
Activities
Conferences & meetings
Campaigns and action
Links
Press room
CAMPAIGN NEWS
25 January 2010

Cameroon / USA:
American lawyers prepare UN petition for Lapiro de Mbanga

A team of four lawyers from a law firm in the United States are preparing a petition to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. They argue that by keeping Lapiro de Mbanga imprisoned, Cameroon is violating international law.

The lawyers are working pro bono with Freedom Now.

The office of a US senator, Richard Durbin, has become very interested in Lapiro de Mbanga’s case and is eager to help get him released. Senator Durbin’s office has been reaching out to the Cameroon Embassy in the US.

Meanwhile, petitions made by Freemuse, Mondomix and Vigier Guitars will be handed over to the Embassy of Cameroon in Paris during Music Freedom Day on 3 March 2010.

Lapiro has received support from all over the world. When he received the Imprisoned Artist Freedom to Create Prize in November last year a new interest in his case was generated at home in Cameroon, where several newspapers reported on the prize.

Mondomix released a CD in support of Lapiro on 1 January 2010. Downloading of the CD is linked to signing the petition. Read more...

The song that made all the problems for Lapiro, entitled ‘Constitution Constipée’, is included in the new Freemuse CD: ‘Listen to the banned.’ Read more...

The song was censored in Cameroon but is still popular with the people opposing the present regime and its lack of respect of freedom of expression and human rights.


Click to read more about Lapiro de Mbanga
The news about Lapiro's award on the front page
of the Cameroon newspaper The Post
 Click to read more about Lapiro de Mbanga's case
 Lapiro
 de Mbanga 
 




Click to see video
Video: See Lapiro's comment on his situation in prison, and his cause






Click to read more about the album
Mondomix compilation album: 'Free Lapiro'




Click to go to freedom-now.org
 Freedom Now

Eden Newspaper – 4 February 2010:
'International Music Stars, Civil Society Push For Lapiro's Liberation'


 Place a link to this page on your Facebook profile

Go to top
Related reading on freemuse.org

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
15 March 2010
Facts about the 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
03 March 2010
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
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