The Yaoundé Military Tribunal handed down prison terms of up to 15 months and reported fines totalling 1.71 million FCFA, as questions persist over the crackdown on post-election dissent.
The Yaoundé Military Tribunal has sentenced 67 people prosecuted over protests following La République du Cameroun’s disputed October 2025 presidential election to prison terms and financial penalties, nearly a year after the post-election unrest.
The verdict covers 60 defendants who were detained and seven others who stood trial while on provisional release. Reported fines imposed on the detained group total 1,710,000 FCFA.
According to the available sentencing details, the 60 detained defendants received prison terms ranging from 10 to 15 months. Seven were sentenced to 15 months each, 31 received 12-month terms, 12 were handed 11 months, and the remaining 10 received 10-month sentences.
The seven defendants who were on provisional release were reportedly sentenced to six months in prison each.
However, the sentencing account also mentions an additional three-year prison term without identifying the person concerned or explaining how it relates to the other penalties. The circumstances surrounding this reported sentence remain unclear.
Fines Reach 1.71 Million FCFA
The reported financial penalties cover 60 defendants. Forty-two were fined 30,000 FCFA each, totalling 1,260,000 FCFA, while another 18 were ordered to pay 25,000 FCFA each, amounting to 450,000 FCFA.
Together, the two groups account for fines totalling 1,710,000 FCFA.
The available information does not establish whether the seven defendants who were on provisional release were also fined. The overall financial penalties imposed on all 67 defendants therefore remain unconfirmed.
Yaoundé’s Post-Election Crackdown Under Scrutiny
The verdict revives concerns over the treatment of civilians arrested during demonstrations following the October 2025 presidential election. Incumbent Paul Biya officially won the poll, but opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary rejected the outcome and maintained he had won.
The disputed election triggered protests, arrests and deadly confrontations between demonstrators and security forces. The subsequent prosecutions have intensified debate over the authorities’ handling of dissent and the use of military courts in cases involving civilians.
For critics of the Biya regime, the sentences raise troubling questions about whether the judicial process addresses individual criminal responsibility or punishes people caught up in a wider political confrontation.
The central issues remain the specific offences established against each defendant, the evidence presented in court and whether the sentences are proportionate to the conduct proved.
The government and judicial authorities must ensure every defendant receives a fair hearing and that criminal proceedings are not used to suppress peaceful political expression.
Full Verdict Needed to Clarify Sentences
A full assessment of the ruling requires the Yaoundé Military Tribunal’s detailed judgement, including the charges against each defendant and the legal grounds for the sentences imposed.
The full decision is also needed to clarify the reported three-year prison term and determine whether the seven defendants on provisional release received additional financial penalties.
Until those details are verified, key questions remain unanswered about the judgement’s full scope.
For families awaiting the return of detained relatives, however, the consequences are immediate. The sentences mean dozens of people prosecuted after an election whose outcome the opposition still contests will remain imprisoned.
Nearly one year after the disputed poll, the prosecutions remain a stark reminder that the political crisis surrounding the October 2025 election extends beyond the ballot box and into the courts, where those accused’ rights must be protected regardless of their political views.
By Lucas Muma | BaretaNews
