- Title: Transgender woman in Cameroon describes 'hell' of five months in prison
- Date: 16th July 2021
- Summary: DOUALA, CAMEROON (JULY 16, 2021) (REUTERS) TRANSGENDER WOMEN RELEASED FROM PRISON, SHAKIRO AND PATRICIA, CLOSE TO EACH OTHER RECORDING VIDEO MESSAGE TO THANK SUPPORTERS HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST, HAMLET NKWAIN, WHO ASSISTED WITH THE RELEASE OF SHAKIRO AND PATRICIA, POSING WITH THEM NKWAIN HUGGING SHAKIRO'S MOTHER, JOSEPHINE NJEUKAM SHAKIRO AND PATRICIA RECORDING A VIDEO MESSAGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) TRANSGENDER WOMEN RELEASED FROM PRISON, SHAKIRO, SAYING: "I went through so much, so many difficulties in prison. Prison is hell. It's hellfire, especially when you come when they accuse you of homosexuality, it's not like someone has stolen. Because the day we step foot in prison, we put on the chain on our legs, something that is not normal, we had chains, we had to chain our legs, big chains with locks, with locks on our legs. That day we slept with those chains and we paid money for them to remove the chains." SHAKIRO AND PATRICIA TALKING WITH ACTIVIST PATRICIA SMILING VARIOUS OF FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE LIVING ROOM HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST, BRICE (IN GLASSES), LISTENING TO CONVERSATION NKWAIN SPEAKING NKWAIN LAUGHING AND DANCING (SOUNDBITE) (English) HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST, HAMLET NKWAIN, SAYING: "Here in Douala we continue because we keep pressing, we have a good number of them that are still in prison, three or four, we will keep pressing on their case for them to release. I will ask the government to look on it again to say this is not necessary for police to be arresting people because of their perceived or real sexual orientation and I think in 2011 the president made a solemn comment on that because people's privacy should not something to be debated in public. And I don't know why some police or state magistrate could not see that and respect it because this is a whole decision we want to call a public debate on it." NKWAIN AND JOSEPHINE NJEUKAM TAKING A SELFIE SHAKIRO'S FATHER JOINING THE GROUP FOR PHOTO SHAKIRO'S SISTER JOSEPHINE NJEUKAM WALKING IN LIVING ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (French) SHAKIRO'S MOTHER, JOSEPHINE NKEUJAM, SAYING: "He (she, Shakiro) was different from his brothers and sisters, he was worried, he was always hiding, staying alone in his corner. He's been effeminate since he was a little boy, he even stopped school early because he was judged, but I did all the efforts for him to get his English baccalaureate, he speaks well in English." FAMILY GATHERED IN LIVING ROOM VARIOUS OF SHAKIRO AND PATRICIA RECORDING VIDEO MESSAGE
- Embargoed: 30th July 2021 22:17
- Keywords: cameron justice lgbt patricia prison shakiro
- Location: DOUALA, CAMEROON
- City: DOUALA, CAMEROON
- Country: Cameroon
- Topics: Africa,Crime/Law/Justice
- Reuters ID: LVA001EM3D6BR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The five months that two transgender women in Cameroon spent in prison were "hell," one of them told Reuters on Friday (July 16) after they were released, describing how they were initially forced to sleep with chains around their legs.
Shakiro and Patricia left Douala's main prison in a taxi after a judge ordered them freed until a court could hear an appeal of their five-year sentences.
They were arrested on February 8 for wearing women's clothing in a restaurant and convicted of "attempted homosexuality," public indecency, and failing to carry identification.
"Prison is hell. It's hellfire. Especially when they accuse you of homosexuality," said Shakiro, a celebrity in Cameroon with thousands of social media followers, during an interview at her family's house.
A spokesperson for Cameroon's justice ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Human rights activists say the arrests reflect a growing criminalisation of sexual minorities in Cameroon. Their appeal is expected to be heard in September.
(Production: Blaise Eyong, Christophe Van Der Perre) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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