Cameroon releases 54 prisoners

54 of the 250 prisoners held at the central prison in Yaounde, waiting to be released gained their freedom on Wednesday December 23rd. They were condemned for fraud or simple theft by the Court of First Instance in Yaoundé and have already served their sentences but remained in prison for lack of financial resources to foot court and prison bills. Many remained in prison three years after serving their sentences because of court delays and remained locked in jail.

Laurent Esso, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, denounced some time ago, the phenomenon of prison overcrowding. Esso invited judges to mobilize to find a solution to the problem. The central prison in Yaoundé has a capacity of 1500 seats. Before the release of the 54, there were 4169 prisoners.