Two Transgender Women Receive 5 Year Prison Sentence in Cameroon
Two transgender women were sentenced to 5 years in prison this week on charges of public indecency and "attempted homosexuality," reports the The New York Times.
Shakiro and Patricia, identified as Loïc Njeukam and Roland Mouthe respectively, were arrested in February while having dinner in Cameroon's capital, Douala, on charges of failing to provide identifying documents. The incident reflects a long running crackdown on the country's LGBTQ population.
Shakiro, a digital influencer known for her advocacy for Cameroon's gender minorities, has gone on a hunger strike and has plans to die by suicide due to the verdict.
Shakiro's mother, Joséphine Marie Njeukam, shared her daughter's outlook, saying that she said "'Mum, I won't survive here for five years.'"
Of Africa's 54 countries, Cameroon is one of 30 that criminalize same-sex relationships. Since February, more than two dozen individuals have been arrested in the country for homosexuality, and several have experienced police brutality because of their sexual orientation, according to Human Rights Watch.
"There has long been an anti-L.G.B.T. sentiment in Cameroon," said Ilaria Allegrozzi, a researcher at Human Rights Watch who documents abuses in the West African nation. "Now the judicial system contributes to the perception that homosexual and transgender people are criminals."
The women received Cameroon's maximum penalty for engaging in same-sex intercourse, despite the women's lawyer providing evidence that the couple were detained while having dinner, with no physical intimacy whatsoever.
Following several claims that the verdict was politically motivated, Cameroon's justice ministry did not respond to multiple requests for comment sent by The Times.