Cameroon - Country Report for use in refugee claims based on persecution relating to sexual orientation and gender identity

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) brought concerns about the detention of 11 men on allegations of homosexuality to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice. [...] According to the police and the prosecutor, they violated provisions of sections 344, 346 and 347 of the Cameroonian Penal code (relating to the corruption and indecent exposure of minors under the age of 16). [...] International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission, "United Nations: Group Finds Detention of Men in Cameroon on The Basis of Sexual Orientation to be a Violation of Human Rights" (October 11, 2006), online : The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared that detention of 11 men in Cameroon on the basis of their alleged sexual orientation constituted an arbitrary deprivation of liberty c. [...] A grandmother of one of the students involved accused another girl of misleading her granddaughter, resulting in the arrest of the granddaughter, her friend, and two other girls mentioned during the discussions. [...] Despite the acquittal by a trial judge of 9 men jailed on charges of homosexuality, the prosecutor‟s office has refused to release them Acquittal was ordered as no witnesses were called and no proof offered by the prosecution, according to the IGLHRC The government has stated that the men will be re-tried The accused men have been detained for almost one year IGLHRC criticizes the govern.