Cameroon Journalist Was Tortured – Brother

Yaounde – A Cameroonian journalist arrested in February was tortured before his death in prison in April, his brother told AFP on Sunday.

Justice Minister Amadou Ali on Tuesday released the official post-mortem into the death of journalist Cyrille Germain Ngota Ngota, saying there was no sign of cuts, bruises or any other marks of torture.

But the journalist’s brother, Bruno Ntede, said: “He was forced to stay standing in a dark room for eight hours.” He had also been obliged to pick up his own waste, he said.

“We know that he had been tortured in February when he was arrested and taken to the DGRE,” the country’s security service, Ntede said.

The minister said, after the release of the post-mortem – carried out four days after the journalist’s death – that the investigation into the incident was continuing.

Ngota was arrested with two other journalists, Robert Mintya and Serge Sabouang, on suspicion of having forged the signature on an official document. Both Mintya and Sabouang, who are still in prison, have denied the charges.

In August Mintya was hospitalised after being attacked in his prison cell.

On September 1 President Paul Biya sacked his police chief and the head of the DGRE. Press speculation at the time suggested that the security chief was in part fired because of his role in the arrest of Ngota.