Social Media Activist, Steve Akam Alias Ramon Cotta, Charged For Terrorism, Insurrection Etc

Social media activist, Steve Akam alias Ramon Cotta, who was arrested in Libreville, Gabon on July 17, 2024 and extradited to Cameroon, is said to be facing a five count charge at the Yaounde Military Tribunal. The charges include: Terrorism, Insurrection, Insulting the President of the Republic of Cameroon and members of Government, as well as Financing terrorism.

Steve Akam aka Ramon Cotta who was a businessman based in Libreville, Gabon where he had lived for the 10 years had become known on the social media, precisely on Tik Tok, for his videos in which he was critical of the Biya regime. He in some of the videos alleged called on the Cameroon military to take their responsibility. That was interpreted by the Biya regime as plotting to overthrow the government.

Intervention Of Human Rights Watch  

Meanwhile when Steve Akam aka Ramon Cotta was arrested in Gabon and extradited to Cameroon, he was held incommunicado. His whereabouts was not known even by a number of human rights lawyers led by the former President of the General Assembly of the Cameroon Bar Association, Barrister Hipolyte Meli Tarkouang, which constituted a group to defend him. Several calls for Cameroonian authorities to shed light on the situation or the whereabouts of Steve Akam aka Ramon Cotta, fell on deaf eyes, as the Government remained mute on the issue.

Last week, Human Rights Watch strongly came out on the issue through its Senior Sahel Researcher, Ilaria Allegrozzi, who in an article raised a red alert on the whereabouts or on the situation of Steve Akam aka Ramon Cotta.  Ilaria Allegrozzi asserted that the arrested social media activist was seen in a video that was recorded on the Cameroonian side of border with Gabon. The weight of Human Rights Watch, seemed to have changed Government‘s initial attitude.

Haman Rights Lawyer, Hipolyte Meli, Meets Ramon Cotta

In the afternoon of Tuesday, August 20, Sylvain Souop, a specialist on the defense of victims of politico – judicial and military repression, informed the public on his Facebook page, that the group of lawyers constituted to defend Steve Akam alias Ramon Cotta, to which he was associated, have finally found the detained social media activist. Sylvain Souop disclosed that  the leader of the defense team , Barrister Meli Hippolyte, finally succeeded to meet  Steve Akam at  the Secretariat of State for Defense in charge of  the National Gendarmerie, commonly known by the French acronym, SED, where he is being detained,  earlier in that afternoon of August 20.

The incarcerated social media activist, Steve Akam, reportedly told Barrister Meli that he was taken to the Yaounde Military Tribunal for the second time since his detention, earlier of on that Tuesday, August 20, ant the charges against him spelt out. Steve Akam also disclosed that Human Rights Watch has had access to him.  He also reportedly complained that when he was arrested in Gabon, he was subjected to severe torture before being extradited to Cameroon and that part of his body has paralyzed. He also complained that he has problems with his eyes, and can’t see well.

 CPDM And SDF Militants Clashed On Social Media

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