Responding to the release of Dorgelesse Nguessan, a single mother and hairdresser arbitrarily arrested in 2020 for participating in a peaceful protest, Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s interim Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said:
“Dorgelesse Nguessan is finally free. She can now join her loved ones after more than four years in arbitrary detention solely for peacefully exercising her human rights. While this is a day to celebrate, Dorgelesse Nguessan should never have been detained in the first place.
“Of the protesters arrested in 2020, 38 remain in arbitrary detention. The Cameroonian authorities must immediately release them. This travesty of justice must end. Authorities must uphold and ensure the human rights of everyone in the country including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.”
Background
In September 2020, over 500 people, including Dorgelesse Nguessan, were arrested for participating in protests organized by the opposition party ‘Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon’ (MRC) in several cities across the country.
Dorgelesse Nguessan, now 39 years old, had never been politically active yet joined a protest in Douala, having grown concerned about Cameroon’s economy. She was charged with “insurrection” and “public demonstrations”, among other charges, before being sentenced to five years in prison by a military court on 7 December 2021. The Court of Appeal reduced her sentence on 16 January 2025 after several referrals.
Amnesty International has denounced the arbitrary nature of her detention and called for her immediate and unconditional release in a campaign in January 2022. She was also among 10 cases featured in Amnesty International’s 2022 Write for Rights campaign. Thousands of Amnesty International supporters have written letters calling for Dorgelesse’s release.
