The Cameroon Human Rights Commission enforces the right to security of compatriot Mrs Hortense Marie Pauline BELLA, a Cameroonian journalist who was remanded in custody at the Abidjan Prison (MACA) from 5 October 2020 to 12 January 2023

         

                      

The Cameroon Human Rights Commission (CHRC) was informed, in an article published in the Mutations newspaper No. 5733 of 16 December 2022, of the pre-trial detention of compatriot Hortense Marie Pauline BELLA at the Abidjan prison (MACA) from 5 October 2020 to 12 January 2023, in deplorable conditions. She was accused of public order offences in a legal proceeding between her and her partner over the custody of their child. 

The CHRC President got informed of the facts and referred the matter to the National Human Rights Council of Côte d'Ivoire for an investigation into the detention conditions of the woman concerned.

Madame Namizata SANGARE, the President of the said Council, immediately dispatched her teams to MACA, to visit the detainees and particularly verify the situation of our compatriot.

After this visit, the National Human Rights Institution of Côte d'Ivoire urgently transmitted a report to Mr Jean SANSAN KAMBILE, the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Keeper of the Seals. This report prompted the granting of a presidential pardon to Ms BELLA, who was released on 12 January 2023. 

As a matter of interest, as part of its mission to promote and protect human rights as set out in Section 3 of Law No. 2019/014 of 19 July 2019, relating to the establishment, organisation and functioning of the CHRC, the Commission may also intervene to safeguard the rights of Cameroonians abroad, based on the personal jurisdiction of the State.

The CHRC calls on any person who is a victim or witness of a human rights violation to refer such matters to it, including via its toll-free number, 1523.

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