resolution motion, 31 March 2025
On Prosecution of journalists in Cameroon, notably the cases of Amadou Vamoulké, Kingsley Fomunyuy Njoka, Mancho Bibixy, Thomas Awah Junior and Tsi Conrad
Motion B-10-2025-0237 · (2025/2627(RSP))
on behalf of the ECR Group · Rapporteur: Adam Bielan, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Ondřej Krutílek, Veronika Vrecionová, Małgorzata Gosiewska, Alexandr Vondra, Waldemar Tomaszewski, Assita Kanko, Ivaylo Valchev, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński
AI:In short
This resolution condemns the imprisonment of journalists in Cameroon, including named individuals, and demands their immediate release and the dropping of charges. It denounces the degradation of rule of law and press freedom, urges repeal of repressive laws, and calls for diplomatic and economic pressure on Cameroon.
Key points
- Strongly condemns the unjust imprisonment of Amadou Vamoulké, Kingsley Fomunyuy Njoka, Mancho Bibixy, Thomas Awah Junior, Tsi Conrad and all other media representatives.
- Demands that Cameroonian authorities release all media representatives immediately and unconditionally, as well as all others detained for exercising freedoms, and drop all charges.
- Denounces the degradation of rule of law, human rights and press freedom in Cameroon and urges authorities to repeal repressive legislation and ensure judiciary's independence.
- Demands that Cameroonian authorities stop all ongoing human rights violations related to press, expression, and speech, and fully restore press freedom.
- Highlights the need to protect civil society organizations and preserve press freedom.
- Calls on Member States to exert diplomatic and economic pressure towards Cameroon until all unduly imprisoned journalists and media representatives are released.
Who is affected
- Journalists and media representatives in Cameroon, including Amadou Vamoulké, Kingsley Fomunyuy Njoka, Mancho Bibixy, Thomas Awah Junior and Tsi Conrad.
- Cameroonian authorities, who are demanded to release prisoners and repeal repressive laws.
- EU Member States, called on to apply diplomatic and economic pressure on Cameroon.
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Full text
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B100237/2025
Motion for a European Parliament resolution on Prosecution of journalists in Cameroon, notably the cases of Amadou Vamoulké, Kingsley Fomunyuy Njoka, Mancho Bibixy, Thomas Awah Junior and Tsi Conrad
(2025/2627(RSP))
The European Parliament,
having regard to its previous resolutions on Cameroon
having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,
whereas several NGOs submitted a report to the UN on freedom of expression and press in 2023; whereas this report concluded that Cameroonian journalists face lethal threats and false legal charges while reporting on the Anglophone conflict; whereas there is virtually no press freedom in Cameroon; whereas journalists and media outlets have to use self-censorship in order to avoid harassment and prosecution; whereas the largest media outlets are owned by the state and being used to distribute propaganda of President Biya, who has been in power since 1982; whereas privately owned media outlets are strictly supervised; whereas Freedom House stated in 2022 that Cameroon is not a free state;
whereas Cameroon is one of Africa’s most dangerous countries for journalists who have to work in a hostile and precarious environment; whereas several journalists have been murdered; whereas it is impossible for media outlets to adopt critical and independent editorial policy without facing a significant risk of harassment, legal issues or lethal threats if its reporting endangers the interests of the government and its representatives; whereas Cameroon’s laws, including the 1990 press freedom law, are often circumvented in order to repress journalists; whereas anti-terrorism laws and military tribunals have been abused by the authorities to detain, prosecute and imprison representatives of the media;
whereas Cameroon has detained, prosecuted and imprisoned several journalists and other representatives of media, most notably Amadou Vamoulké, Kingsley Fomunyuy Njoka, Mancho Bibixy, Thomas Awah Junior and Tsi Conrad; whereas these individuals have been detained, prosecuted, or imprisoned on baseless charges;
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Strongly condemns the unjust imprisonment of Amadou Vamoulké, Kingsley Fomunyuy Njoka, Mancho Bibixy, Thomas Awah Junior, Tsi Conrad and all other media representatives;
Demands that the Cameroonian authorities release all media representatives immediately and unconditionally, as well as all others detained or imprisoned for exercising their freedoms, democratic rights, while doing their job and to drop all charges against them;
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Denounces the degradation of the rule of law, human rights and press freedom in Cameroon and urges the authorities to repeal all repressive legislation and ensure the judiciary’s independence;
Demands that Cameroonian authorities stop all ongoing human rights violations related to freedom of press, expression, and speech; demands that the right to press freedom be fully restored;
Highlights the need to protect civil society organizations and preserve press freedom;
Calls on Member States to exert diplomatic and economic pressure towards Cameroon until all unduly imprisoned journalists and other media representatives are released;
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the Cameroonian authorities, the African Union, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Pan-African Parliament.