Presidential Decree Decongesting Prisons : Human Rights Commission Appreciates Move

On April 15, 2020, the President of the Republic, Paul Biya signed a decree to commute and remit sentences of prisoners, a decision which the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms (NCHEF) has welcomed saying it portrays the President’s concern to guarantee the right to life and to health of persons deprived of certain liberties in Cameroon due to some offenses committed. The April 17 release signed by the Chairperson of the Commission, Dr. Divine Banda Chemuta states the presidential act is a response to recent calls from United Nations agencies, the Human Rights Commission in Cameroon, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to adopt possible measures aimed at suppressing COVID-19 in places of detention. 
In order to curb the spread of the virus in places of detention, the Rights Commission recommends the adoption of certain actions on behalf of other categories of inmates especially the elderly who are considered most vulnerable to the virus, those awaiting trail which according to the Commission constitute a majority of the prison population in Cameroon, and persons under prosecution for minor offences.
The Commission in the same communiqué also encourages prison authorities to ensure strict control of access to prisons, improve sanitary measures in these prisons, make available and in sufficient quantity the necessary protectiv...