Michel
Atangana Recalls his 17yrs Ordeal
Michel
Atangana may be physically free, but like his country, he remains shackled in
many ways.
Michel Thierry Atangana spent 17 years in jail in Cameroon based on false accusations. |
Michel
Thierry Atangana is not a household name, but perhaps he should be. He is a
hero and testament to the always fragile but irrepressible human spirit.
Tomorrow, 24 February, marks the
four-year anniversary of his release from a maximum-security prison in
Cameroon, following a decree issued by President Paul Biya several days prior.
In total, Atangana spent 17 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit,
much of it in solitary confinement, in a dingy cell where he was subject to
routine state-sanctioned torture, and much of it falling outside local and
international headlines.
The
“official” charge was that Michel had “embezzled public funds”. He was arrested
without warrant following false accusations by public officials in Cameroon
and, by any measure, exposed to an entirely farcical legal proceeding that took
place in an overnight session without the assistance of counsel and without the
chance to respond to the charges.
President
Biya’s one-man rule
Many familiar with the case agree
that Atangana’s detention was due to his alleged support for a well-known
political leader who intended to challenge Biya, the man who has ruled Cameroon
since 1982 (and effectively since 1975 when he was Prime Minister). Cameroon’s
courts have a long-standing reputation of being used as a tool of political
retribution and score settling. That fact remains to this day, as does Biya,
who ranks among the world’s longest-ruling leaders. Of late, his government has
been increasingly accused of massive human rights violations, elevating
Cameroon to crisis level in need of a coordinated global response, according to
several international NGOs.
The personal tragedy that befell
Atangana is indicative of a broader trend of repression, brazen disregard for
democratic rights, and a seeming disdain for the principles of equality and
justice. These transgressions have pervaded Cameroon over the past several
decades – and are arguably getting worse – under Biya’s one-man rule. Moreover,
with elections fast approaching this year, many fear a continued downward
spiral as the president stands ready to run for a successive seventh term.
Due to the flagrantly egregious
nature of Atangana’s case, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary
Detention, in August 2013, found that his imprisonment was arbitrary and called
for his immediate and unconditional release. Cameroon’s government refused to
heed this communication.
The UN Working Group also
recommended an independent investigation to identify those responsible for the
actions taken against Atangana and that they be punished in accordance with
domestic law and international legal norms. The report declared that Atangana
should be awarded financial damages “for the harm caused by being deprived of
personal liberty”.
To this day, Atangana has yet to
receive justice. His legal case continues to hang in the balance by an
intransigent regime more committed to holding onto power and stifling dissent
than ensuring justice and accountability. What is more, as a successful
businessman, Atangana’s persecution scared off local and international
investors, depressing Cameroon’s economy that has long required revitalisation.
France’s
neglect
While the persecution and
mistreatment inflicted upon Atangana by Cameroonian authorities was
unacceptable, it is also important to underscore the seeming racism at play
here. Atangana is a French citizen, and had initially travelled to Cameroon on
the recommendation of the French government to assist a so-called “friendly
regime” in Cameroon. Yet, when he was accused of a crime he did not commit,
France did nothing to elevate his cause, his voice, or his long fight to secure
justice. I experienced this obstinacy first-hand while working for Freedom
House in 2011, where we had taken the lead in elevating Atagana’s case.
Throughout the entirety of his
unjust and arbitrary detention, the government in Paris folded its hands and
turned the other way. This tragedy went on for 17 agonising years. The French
diplomatic and consular authorities in Cameroon feigned ignorance, pretending
to be uninformed about his case, and made misleading statements about his
nationality, essentially denying Atangana was a French citizen (an easily
disprovable lie).
To this day, we wonder: Would those
same French authorities have acted differently if he were not of African
origin? One suspects the answer is yes, if only judging by other cases of
French citizens who have faced grave injustice abroad, namely: Clotilde Reiss
(Iran), Florence Cassez (Mexico), Michaël Blanc (Indonesia), and Serge Atlaoui
(Indonesia). There were also those involved in the now infamous Arche de Zoé in
Darfur.
Today, would any French or European
investor of African descent feel comfortable operating in Cameroon, or a
similar place, when knowing of this precedent? I am doubtful.
Cameroon in
shackles
Today, Cameroon is again at a
crossroads as it was in 1994 when Atangana was imprisoned. As this year’s
elections approach – likely to take place by October – the economy continues
its free fall, sped up by the regime’s increasingly routine internet shutdowns,
costing tens of millions of dollars in potential revenue and related business.
The country’s youth and student
populations are lost with little hope for a better future; teachers in some
parts of the country have spent equal parts on the streets protesting as they
have in the classroom. And human rights violations remain ubiquitous, whether
it is the crimes perpetrated against alleged “terrorists” (i.e. journalists and
activists) or Anglophone demonstrators. The situation will only get worse if
there is not immediate action. In order to stay relevant, to once again become
stable and viable, Cameroon must reform.
Atangana’s saga can serve as a
useful reference point. Many people are of the view that his case has concluded
since he is now a free man. This could not be further from the truth. For one,
his personal bank accounts in Europe remain blocked and his assets in Cameroon
frozen by authorities.
Much like the country itself,
Atangana may be physically free, but he remains confined in many ways. Until
President Biya and authorities in Cameroon commit to and then implement
long-overdue reforms, including the holding of a genuinely free and fair
election this year, much of the country will remain shackled, unable to break
the hammerlock of an increasingly retrograde regime. Any reasonable observer
will conclude that Cameroon needs an all hands on deck approach to build a
truly prosperous political and economic environment, one predicated on a
foundation of justice and accountability.
That Atangana miraculously emerged
from his 17-year imprisonment unfazed by the ordeal, uninterested in
retribution, and undaunted by the trials ahead, offers a glimmer of hope that
Cameroon’s citizens are more than capable of meeting this great challenge.
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