Cameroon sentences RFI journalist to ten years in prison

On Monday, a military court in Cameroon sentenced Ahmed Abba, a correspondent for Radio France Internationale's (RFI) Hausa service, to 10 years in prison and ordered him to make a payment of 55 million Central African francs (US$91,133).

His Lawyer Clément Nakong said he would appeal Abba's sentence within the 10 days set by the court.

Amnesty International quickly condemned the sentencing of Ahmed Abba.

Cameroonian authorities arrested Abba in the country's Far North region in July 2015. He has denied accusations of acting as an accomplice and failing to warn authorities of activities by the Nigeria-based Islamic extremists.

He was accused of complicity with terrorist acts and not denouncing such acts when he was covering the Boko Haram insurgency in the northern part of Cameroon.

"Ahmed Abba's conviction, after torture and an unfair trial, is clear evidence that Cameroon's military courts are not competent to try civilians and should not have jurisdiction in these cases", said Amnesty International's Ilaria Allegrozzi.

Journalist Associations and Rights groups described the conviction and sentencing as an "unfair trial, a travesty of justice".

According to News24, three other journalists - Baba Wame, Rodrigue Tongue, and Félix Cyriaque Ebolé Bola - who were arrested in 2014, are also being prosecuted in a military tribunal for failing to disclose information and sources to the government.

Mr Rodrique Tongue, of Le Messager daily newspaper (now working for a local TV station), Mr Felix Cyriaque Ebole Bola of Mutations daily newspaper and Dr Baba Wame, a lecturer with the Advanced School of Mass Communication in Yaoundé, were accused of "non-denunciation" or concealing risky information concerning state security.

Cameroon is ranked among the worst countries in the world for press freedom by the NGO Reporters Sans Frontieres.