Human Rights Watch reported Tuesday that a Cameroonian social media activist and outspoken government critic, Steve Akam, who went missing last month, has been found in a military court cell in Yaoundé, the capital, showing signs of torture.
According to his lawyers, Akam was likely forcibly returned to Cameroon from Gabon, where he had resided for the past decade.
Upon gaining access to him, they discovered he was partially paralyzed and suffering from severe visual impairments.
A video circulated online showed Akam, a vocal critic of President Paul Biya, handcuffed and surrounded by Cameroonian police near the Gabon border, marking his last known appearance.
On TikTok, where he has over 30,000 followers under the name Ramon Cotta, Akam recently accused Biya of continuing the war in Cameroon’s anglophone regions to maintain his grip on power.
Ilaria Allegrozzi, a senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch, warned that Akam “may have already lost his vision and ability to walk properly due to torture, making urgent intervention necessary.”
She urged the Cameroonian government to ensure he receives medical care and to investigate the evidence of torture. The government has yet to respond to requests for comment.
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