Human Rights Watch reported Tuesday that Cameroonian social media activist and government critic Steve Akam, who disappeared last month, has been found in a security cell at the military court in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital, showing signs of torture.
Akam’s lawyers, who gained access to him in custody, found him partially paralyzed with severe visual impairments, according to the international rights group. The lawyers believe Akam was extrajudicially returned to Cameroon from Gabon, where he had been living for the past decade.
Known on TikTok as Ramon Cotta with over 30,000 followers, Akam was last seen in a video circulated online, handcuffed and surrounded by Cameroonian police near the Gabon border. He has been an outspoken critic of President Paul Biya’s administration, recently accusing Biya of prolonging the conflict in Cameroon’s anglophone regions to maintain power.
Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch, expressed urgent concern for Akam’s well-being. “He may already have lost his sight and ability to walk properly as a result of torture, so prompt action is immediately needed,” Allegrozzi stated. She called on Cameroonian authorities to provide medical treatment and investigate the alleged torture.
The Cameroonian government has not yet responded to requests for comment on Akam’s situation.
