The secretary-general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, visits Cameroon on 10 June 2010. By sending a letter to him, the American legal advocacy organisation Freedom Now makes use of this opportunity to make a pressure to Cameroon's president Biya, asking Ban Ki-moon to request that the president releases the imprisoned singer Lapiro de Mbanga.
June 7, 2010
Mr. Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General
United Nations
New York, NY 10017
Dear Mr. Secretary-General:
In preparation for your travel to Cameroon on June 10, 2010, I write to bring your attention to the case of Pierre Roger Lambo Sandjo, a.k.a. Lapiro de Mbanga, who is unjustly imprisoned in Cameroon. I ask for your assistance in ensuring that Cameroon act in a manner consistent with its own legal obligations and those of international law and release Mr. Mbanga from his illegal and unjust detention.
Mr. Mbanga is a prominent Cameroonian singer-songwriter who uses his music to highlight political oppression in Cameroon while promoting democracy and human rights. As a consequence of his non-violent advocacy on behalf of the Cameroonian people, Mr. Mbanga is wrongfully detained in New Bell Prison, commonly referred to as “hell on earth.”
In 2008, Mr. Mbanga, who is a member of the opposition party, released a song expressing frustration with President Biya’s now-successful efforts to eliminate presidential term limits, titled “Constitution Constipée.” Following the release of this song, Mr. Mbanga was arrested and convicted of false charges stemming from his presence at a demonstration. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment and ordered to pay the exorbitant fine of XAF $280 million.
The Cameroonian government’s arbitrary detention of Mr. Mbanga for exercising his rights to freedom of expression, association, and right to participate in government violates Cameroon’s own constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Cameroon is a party. Further, Mr. Mbanga was not granted a fair trial as is required by Cameroon’s constitution and the ICCPR.
Mr. Mbanga’s incarceration conditions are inhumane and pose a serious, ongoing, and urgent threat to his life. He shares a cell with over 50 prisoners and suffers from typhoid and chronic respiratory infections, which the prison is not equipped to treat.
Given these serious flaws in relation to Mr. Mbanga’s detention, trial, and treatment; I urge you request that President Biya immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Mbanga.
Sincerely,
Maran Turner
Executive Director
Freedom Now soon finalizes a UN petition in support of Lapiro de Mbanga's case.
“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.”
Maran Turner, executive director of Freedom Now, in a Radio France International interview in 2009
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.
www.freedom-now.org
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Lapiro
Cameroon
Maran Turner
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