Africa-Press. The Cameroonian opposition leader and former presidential candidate, Issa Tchroma Bakary, has filed two lawsuits in the Paris judicial court against Cameroonian President Paul Biya and several high-ranking officials in the state, based on the principle of universal jurisdiction. This action is in response to what he described as violations related to the suppression of protests against the presidential elections scheduled for October 12, 2025.
Tchroma, currently residing in Gambia, stated that the lawsuits target President Paul Biya and around twenty senior officials, including the Secretary General of the Presidency Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, as well as ministers and officials from the military, gendarmerie, and police, accusing them of being responsible for violations against opponents and protesters.
The opposition leader confirmed that thousands of Cameroonians remain detained in various prisons across the country under conditions he described as illegal and contrary to fundamental rights. He indicated that he turned to the French judiciary after what he perceived as ongoing obstacles to achieving justice within Cameroon.
His lawyer stated that the appeal to the Paris court represents the first step in a legal process that may later extend to other international mechanisms specializing in human rights and arbitrary detention cases.
Tchroma noted that following the events of October 12, he launched an extensive investigation to gather testimonies and evidence and to identify responsibilities at various levels, from those who issued orders to those who executed them.
On his part, Grégoire Ouna, a minister and official in the ruling party and deputy secretary general of the People’s Democratic Movement, considered this step to be more about drawing attention than a serious legal endeavor, emphasizing that the ruling party is currently focused on preparing for upcoming electoral challenges.
In a legal commentary on the case, lawyer Calvin Job, licensed to practice in both Cameroon and France, explained that the Paris court has universal jurisdiction that allows it to consider certain cases without the need for a direct regional link between the crime and the state, while also noting that such legal proceedings often take a long time before reaching final outcomes.
