Sida 1 av 10 2013-04-19
Fråga-svar
Kamerun. Situationen för hbtq-personer.
Fråga
1. Hur ser lagstiftningen ut och hur tillämpas den?
2. Finns det rapportering om förföljelse/diskriminering av hbtq- personer?
3. I vilken utsträckning går det att leva öppet som hbtq-person?
Svar
Sammanställning av information:
Human Rights Watch (HRW, 2013) rapporterar om situationen för
homosexuella i Kamerun. HRW redogör för ett antal enskilda rättsfall där människor anklagats för homosexualitet (se s. 16–40) och rapporterar att personer utsatts för tortyr, grym, omänsklig eller förnedrande behandling av gendarmer, poliser, underrättelseagenter och fängelsepersonal (se s. 41–44).
HRW beskriver även brister i rättssäkerhet för personer misstänkta för homosexualitet (se s. 45–48). HRW skriver övergripande angående lagstiftning, gripanden och åtal av homosexuella:
Cameroon’s anti-homosexuality law dates to 1972, when it was imposed by executive order
by former President Ahmadou Ahidjo. Article 347 bis of the penal code, headed
“Homosexuality,” punishes “sexual relations with a person of the same sex” with a prison
term of six months to five years and with a fine of 20,000 to 200,000 CFA francs
(approximately US$40-$400). (s. 8) [...]
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Prosecutions based on the law appear to have been almost non-existent before 2005,
according to research by Alternatives-Cameroun, which examined prison files in Douala:
the oldest case file found for homosexuality dated to 1997.1 (s. 8)
[...]
Arrests appeared to continue at a steady pace between 2005 and 2010, but human rights
organizations in Cameroon documented a surge in arrests in 2010 and 2011. Since January
2010, at least 28 persons have had homosexuality prosecutions initiated against them; at
least eight have been convicted, although two were subsequently acquitted on appeal.
As of February 2013, at least three people were in prison awaiting trial on the same charges.
At least nine others were free on bail but had ongoing cases against them. In all, ADEFHO
has documented 51 arrests for homosexuality since 2005, though many cases likely go
unreported. (s. 9)
Amnesty International (2013) om situationen för homo-, bi-, trans- och intersexuella personer (LGBTI individuals) i Kamerun. Se hela kapitel 4,
“Persecution of people accused of same sex relations” (s. 27–40):
Violence, arbitrary arrests and detention and other forms of human rights violations targeting
individuals because of their real or perceived sexual orientation are commonplace in
Cameroon, and have been on the increase since the mid- 2000s. During its 39th Ordinary
Session, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights expressed concern at “an
upsurge of intolerance against sexual minorities.”62 (s.
27) [...]
Victims of abuse and harassment are often scared to seek protection from the police, who too
often participate in the abuse and subject individuals suspected of being gay, lesbian,
bisexual, or transgender to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, including beatings.
Most of those detained have been targeted on the grounds of their perceived sexual
3
orientation, rather than on any alleged participation in prohibited acts. Individuals charged
and convicted under Section 347 face increased threat of violence and discrimination in
prison, and their health can be severely compromised because of the abuse and the lack of
access to medication and treatment. (s. 27) [...]
Further, the existence of the criminal provisions on homosexuality create a climate of fear
and serve as justification when the police detain, torture and beat suspected lesbian, gay,
bisexual or transgender individuals. This law also impedes health initiatives, particularly
around HIV and AIDS, that attempt to reach vulnerable groups, including men who have sex
with men, by driving individuals underground and making it harder for them to access safer
sex information and services.(s. 28) [...]
The pervasive prejudice against LGBTI individuals that is perpetuated by law and practice
creates an environment in which people believe – often rightly – that they can abuse LGBTI
individuals with impunity. For example, on 27 June 2011, relatives and other people beat
and injured two young women known a Cathy and Sandrine after members of Cathy’s family
in the New Bell district of Douala accused them of engaging in same-sex relations. Fearing
for the lives of the two women, members of Cathy’s family sought police intervention. The
police arrested Cathy and Sandrine but took them to a clinic for medical care and released
them soon after. The authorities did not take any action against the assailants of the young
women. (s. 33)
Freedom House (2013):
Prejudice and discrimination against the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community is pervasive.
The law forbids homosexual activity, and stipulates prison terms of six months to five years. At least 28 people have been prosecuted under the penal code’s Article 347 since 2010. Cases of alleged homosexuality are often fraught with violations of due process rights and based on weak evidence. Further, convictions for homosexual acts often rely on perceived sexual
4
orientation, despite the fact that the law requires an individual be caught engaging in a sexual act. In February, police arrested a man for alleged homosexuality, and released him on the condition that he publicly denounce the work of Alternatives-Cameroun, an organization that provides HIV/AIDS services to the community; the organization suspended its activities as a result. Authorities in the capital shut down a workshop on the rights of sexual and gender minorities in March. In December, an appeals court upheld a conviction and three-year prison sentence for a university student accused of homosexuality, though he had no legal representation at his original trial. Lawyers representing clients of accused homosexuality were subjected to threats of violence throughout 2012 due to their work.
US Department of State (2012):
Gay men and lesbians generally kept a low profile because of the pervasive societal stigma, discrimination, and harassment as well as the possibility of imprisonment. Gay men and lesbians suffered from harassment and extortion by law enforcement officials.
According to one human rights NGO, government officials and private citizens sometimes conspired to make false allegations of homosexuality to harass enemies or extort money.
[...]
On July 25, police detained three men returning from a bar in Yaounde because two of the men appeared effeminate, according to the Association for the Defense of Homosexuality and Human Rights Watch. The three were jailed for one week before being charged, and the two who appeared effeminate were beaten on the soles of their feet until they confessed to being gay, according to a civil society group working on their behalf; the third man was released. After repeated postponements, a trial was held on September 26, at which the two men who confessed to being gay were sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of 200,000 CFA francs ($400). An arrest warrant was issued for the third man, who was convicted and sentenced in absentia to the same punishment.
Se artikel från Jeune Afrique (2012) om situationen för homosexuella i Kamerun:
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/JA2673p036-037.xml0/
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Se sammanställning av information från Refugee Documentation Centre (2012) om situationen för homosexuella i Kamerun:
http://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/1930_1345455747_q15672-cameroon.pdf
Se även sammanställning av information från Schweizerische
Flüchtlingshilfe (SFH, 2012) om situationen för homosexuella i Kamerun.
SFH rapporterar bl.a. att det inte finns sociala grupper eller regioner i landet där sexuella minoriteter är mindre stigmatiserade och marginaliserade (s. 6):
http://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/1226_1353676992_kamerun- homosexualitaet.pdf
SFH (2011) rapporterar om situationen för intersexuella personer i Kamerun. Intersexualitet är enligt SFH stigmatiserat och ämnet är tabu i landet (se s. 4):
http://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/1788_1311527495_kamerun- intersexualitaet-und-behandlung-von-peneskrotaler-hypospadie.pdf
UD (2011):
Homo-, bi- och transsexualitet (HBT) förefaller vara allmänt fördömt och anses inte vara ett accepterat beteende, framförallt på landsbygden. Allmänna fördomar mot HBT-personer dryftas ofta och offentligt inom det politiska etablissemanget samt i etermedia.
Rapporter om attacker från kamerunsk polis mot HBT- personer förekommer.
Kamerunska domstolar utdömer godtyckliga fängelsedomar för HBT-personer, och det är inte ovanligt att åklagare anför samma anklagelser upprepat trots friande domar. Enligt Amnesty International stängdes bland annat 34 studenter (varav tolv kvinnor) av från högskolestudier i mars 2006 efter anklagelser om samkönat umgänge.
Kriminaliserandet av homosexualitet har konsekvenser för HBT-personers möjlighet att uppsöka och erhålla sjukvård. Kamerun driver inga särskilda hiv/aids- program som riktar sig specifikt till HBT-grupper.
Preventivmedel förvägras fångar i kamerunska fängelser där hiv-frekvensen är särskilt hög och där det rapporteras om frekventa sexuella övergrepp. (s. 12)
Alternatives Cameroon, IGLHRC, Centre for Human Rights & Global Rights (2010):
In violation of its obligations under the ICCPR [the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights], Cameroon has maintained legal
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provisions that criminalize same-sex sexual conduct between consenting adults. In
Toonen v. Australia,4 it was determined that the prohibition of discrimination based on
sex included sexual orientation. The Constitution of the Republic of Cameroon forbids
discrimination on the grounds of sex; also Article 45 states that international treaties
supersede Cameroonian domestic law, yet the discriminatory ban on same-sex sexual
conduct is enforced. The ban has led to discrimination, stigmatization and other serious
human rights violations on the grounds of real or perceived sexual orientation.
Using article 347a of the Cameroonian Criminal Code that outlaws same-sex sexual
conduct, individuals are commonly arrested without evidence because of their real or
perceived sexual orientation. After these arrests, many are held for lengthy time periods
and even subjected to multiple trials in violation of the Cameroonian Criminal Procedure
Code and subsequently the ICCPR. While in custody, detainees undergo degrading
treatment such as anal examinations with no medical validity. (s. 3)
[...]
Many individuals are physically abused while in custody.
Cases of discrimination
involving minors within the education system have also been reported. Even after the
UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention condemned the nation’s law regarding samesex
sexual relations and sexual orientation, Cameroon defended its law and actions.
Cameroon has failed to meet its obligations under ICCPR. (s. 3)
HRW (2010) rapporterar att rädsla för diskriminering och våld från familj och samhälle leder till att hbtq-personer lever i hemlighet. HRW uppger att lesbiska och bisexuella kvinnor är särskilt utsatta och sårbara. Se rapporten i sin helhet och särskilt kapitlet ”Social Control, Rejection, and Violence” (s.
37–49):
Beyond arrest, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people or individuals perceived as
such are at higher risk for other problems. They may be more vulnerable to violent attacks
inside and outside the home, as they risk arrest for homosexual conduct if they report a
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crime. Police and prison officers routinely have abused detainees they suspect of same-sex
sexual relationships, and have done so with impunity.
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender people at risk of HIV/AIDS infection or who are HIV positive have more difficulty
in obtaining legal protection, including in prison. A general climate of fear has meant that
rigid gender codes are strictly enforced and people live out their lives in secrecy. (s. 3)
[…]
Though arrests remain relatively rare, they create a climate of fear. Family members have
reported other family members to police. Landlords have reported their tenants. Friends
have reported friends. Thieves and other perpetrators of crimes have simply accused their
victims of homosexuality to deflect police attention and escape justice. Others have used
the threat of reporting homosexuality to extort money or favors. The consequence is that people are punished for a homosexual identity, not for the specific outlawed practice of homosexual sex.
The problem extends far beyond the criminal justice system, especially for women who
identify as lesbian or bisexual. Interviews for this report suggested that there are fewer
women than men arrested and jailed, yet women who do not dress in typically feminine
attire, or who engage in conduct deemed unfeminine, are often singled out for persecution.
Women suspected of having sex with women can be specifically targeted for rape and sexual
attacks. They can lose custody of their children with little chance of challenging this because
of their fear of arrest and jail. Like men, they can be ostracized by their families or suffer
physical abuse at the hands of family members, which is especially difficult in a society
where women are expected to remain dependent and in the family fold.
Even if a person is not arrested, the climate of prosecution can demand a personal secrecy
that can be psychologically devastating and may amount to persecution. Out of 45
interviewees, only a handful had willingly come out to their families and friends. Consistently,
men and women we interviewed mentioned having a partner of the opposite sex to “cover up”
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and avoid stigma, discrimination, and violence within their family and community.
The experience of being branded a homosexual in the criminal justice system can change
the trajectories of people’s lives. It tears families apart, and causes individuals to be
ostracized from their communities, or to lose their jobs.
After an arrest, a person lives in fear
that even a casual conversation with a person of the same sex could lead to another arrest. (s. 4–5)
Landinfo (2009) om homofobi i samhället och homosexuellas möjligheter att leva öppet:
Dette fokuset på homoseksualitet i lokal debatt de senere årene innebærer at homofile ikke
lenger er “usynlige” i det urbane Kamerun, men har fått medienes og befolkningens søkelys
på seg. Dermed er utryggheten for å bli eksponert/“outet”
og utsatt for stigmatisering av
omgivelsene, utpresningsforsøk fra privatpersoner eller politi, og muligheten for straffeforfølgelse,
sannsynligvis blitt mye større i løpet av de siste fem årene. Videre sender den
tendensiøse pressedekningen om homofile, og påstått homofile, høyst sannsynlig et svært
tydelig signal til Kameruns homomiljøer om at negative og direkte hatske holdninger til
homoseksualitet er høyst levende i brede lag av Kameruns befolkning, på alle sosiale nivåer. (s. 3)
[…]
Den generelle homofobien i Kamerun har vært nevnt. I tillegg til skandaleoppslag om
homofile eller påståtte homofile, presenteres homoseksualitet jevnlig i kamerunsk presse som
en negativ følge av ulike sosiale problemer, som kummerlige fengselsforhold (Nsom & Gwarbarah 2009), hemmelige religiøse kulter (Mundi 2008 og Adams 2006), gudløshet (Chia
& Sumelong 2008), dårlig moral og normsammenbrudd (Bongben 2007a) samt
arbeidsledighet og fattigdom (Bongben 2007b). Videre nevnes homoseksualitet innimellom
som en årsak til flere ulike sosiale problemer, som for eksempel at det finnes gatebarn
(Yongka 2008). Det faktum at homoseksualitet overveiende fordømmes som et
samfunnsproblem og utslag av moralsk forfall, bidrar heller ikke positivt til homofiles
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livskvalitet i Kamerun. (s. 5–6) […]Er noen homofile mer utsatt enn andre for problemer?
Homofile som gjennom væremåte eller klesstil utfordrer lokale kjønnsrollemønstre, vil nok
kunne være mer utsatt for problemer med omgivelsene i det daglige enn homofile som er
mindre synlige. Samtidig går det fram i flere saker at personer er blitt arrestert fordi andre
homofile har angitt dem etter press fra politiet. Dette vil alle som oppsøker møteplasser for
homofile kunne være utsatt for. Dermed er verken det å holde en lav profil i dagliglivet, eller
å ikke ha en væremåte som stemmer med lokale gjengse stereotyper om homofile noen
garanti mot problemer, så lenge en har en viss kontakt med homofile miljøer. (s. 6)
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