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| Samuel Wazizi |
National and international pressure have continued to pile on the government of Cameroon calling for the unconditional and immediate release of some Journalists currently behind bars including Samuel Ajiekeh Abuwe fondly called Samuel Wazizi.
Samuel Wazizi has spent more than 280+ days incarcerated incommunicado following his arrest on August 2 2019 by some elements of the 3rd district Police in Muea.
Since his transfer from the said police station ,no one knows the whereabout of the pidgin broadcaster of Buea base Chillen Music Television, CMTV.
On Thursday May 7 2020, a habeas corpus demand for the Journalist was rejected by the Fako High Court in Buea.The judge said the Habeas corpus demand was constituted using the 'wrongful quotation of the law'.
The lead Defense Counsel , Barrister Nkea Emmanuel of Varitas Law Firm though not accepting the assertions from the judge says his legal team will reconstitute the Habeas Corpus and resubmit as soon as possible.
The Defense Counsel has previously decried some irregulaties in the judicial process which does not tie with the laws of the land.
This was the seventh time that Wazizi's case file was dumped out of the court on some kind of an undastandable technicality.
During Thursday's hearing,scores of Journalists gathered at the court premises in solidarity with their missing colleague amongst whom was SW Chapter president of Cameroon Journalists' Trade Union ,Jator Derrick and Buea chapter president of Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists' CAMASEJ ,Abah Isidore.
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| Buea based journalists |
In seperate interviews ,both presidents appealed to authorities to present their colleague atleast for the press family to know that he is still alive before decrying the set backs in the judicial process which they say does not speak well of a country that prides her self as a state of Law.
Earlier last week the America Bar Association through a lengthy report called on authorities to immediately free Samuel Wazizi.
The American Bar decried that authorities have egregiously failed to comply with due process standards established by International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights and African Charter.
It should be noted that Samuel Wazizi is accused of related terrorist activity; collaborating with Seperatist and spreading Seperatist information.Allegtions that he has previously denied.
It remains to be seen how the authorities will react to this mounting pressure from all corners.
By
Kehdinga Fabris
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