A Cameroonian social media activist and government critic, known as Steve Akam, has been located in a military court security cell in the capital, Yaoundé, with signs of severe torture, Human Rights Watch reported on Tuesday.
Akam, who had been living in Gabon for the past decade, is believed to have been extrajudicially returned to Cameroon last month.
His lawyers, who gained access to him in custody, found him partially paralyzed and with severe visual impairments.
The activist, known for his outspoken criticism of President Paul Biya’s administration, was last seen in a video circulated online that showed him handcuffed and surrounded by Cameroonian police near the border with Gabon.
His TikTok profile, Ramon Cotta, has over 30,000 followers. In a recent video, he accused Biya of pursuing a war in Cameroon’s anglophone regions to maintain his power.
Human Rights Watch’s Ilaria Allegrozzi expressed deep concern about Akam’s deteriorating condition and the potential consequences of the torture.
She urged Cameroon to provide immediate medical treatment and launch a thorough investigation into the alleged abuse. As of this writing, Cameroon’s government has not yet responded to the allegations.