Two Cameroon men convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for gay sex had their convictions overturned Monday in the Court of Appeals. The pair was arrested in 2011 for allegedly having oral sex in a car. Though they claim they were not involved in the act at the time, homosexual acts are illegal in Cameroon. Cameroonian lawyer and gay rights advocate Alice Nkom represented the two men, and was not surprised by the court’s findings, believing that the original case judge was influenced by gay stereotypes.
The conviction was made based on the men’s appearances, according to Nkom. “The way the men dressed… spoke and the fact that they drank Bailey’s Irish Cream proved they were gay,” she said of the judge’s perspective.
“They were doing nothing when they were arrested by police,” she said during BBC’s Focus on Africa. “Just because they were wearing women’s clothes and had make-up, the police said this must be a network of homosexuals, and put them in jail.”
Although the men won their appeal, an intolerant Cameroon public may put them at risk for violence. Identified only as Franky and Jonas by the French news service AFP, the two were expected to be released Tuesday. The ruling has been hailed as a victory internationally, and gay rights activists have spoken out in their defense.
“As soon as they are freed, they absolutely must be placed in safety, otherwise they will be killed,” said Saskia Ditisheim, a lawyer from a Swiss aid group Lawyers Without Borders. She suggested that more tolerant countries should offer the men visas so they can escape possible violence.
Franky and Jonas were convicted along with a third individual who did not participate in the appeal. Cameroon is one of many African states that label homosexuality a crime. Uganda is considering legislation that could lead to the death penalty for homosexuals.
