Cameroon’s Alice Nkom Faces Trial for Breaking REDHAC Seals Amid Civil Liberties Crackdown

The case, listed as item number 46 on the court's docket, concerns charges of “breaking of lawfully affixed seals” and “rebellion”, stemming from the controversial closure of REDHAC’s headquarters last December. The session was brief, lasting just a few minutes — long enough for the presiding judge to hear the plea of Me Nkom, who appeared alone, and confer with her defense team. She pleaded not guilty.

The hearing was adjourned to June 2, 2025, due to the absence of co-accused Maximilienne Ngo Mbe, and pending the submission of REDHAC’s official statutes.

Legal Wrangling Over a Symbolic Act

The legal saga began on December 9, 2024, when Me Nkom, who also serves as co-chair of REDHAC’s board, forcibly removed the government-imposed seals from the organization’s offices in Douala, an act she later described as the "reclamation of fundamental freedoms.”

But for the Wouri Prefect, the move constituted “rebellion.” Me Nkom initially ignored a first summons to the Prefect’s office. A second was canceled, and a third soon followed. Then, on January 16, 2025, both Nkom and Ngo Mbe received formal summonses from the Regional Division of the Judicial Police in the Littoral Region.

The legal action has sparked fierce debate in civil society and the legal community. Critics see it as part of an ongoing crackdown on dissent and the shrinking space for civil liberties in Cameroon ahead of the October presidential election.

Political Undertones and Rights Implications

The prosecution of two of the country’s most outspoken human rights advocates has raised alarms both domestically and internationally. REDHAC, under Ngo Mbe’s leadership, has long served as a watchdog on government abuses and a platform for whistleblowers, activists, and victims of state repression across Central Africa.

"This trial is not just about a broken seal," said one observer in Douala. "It’s about power, defiance, and a legal system that’s increasingly being used to intimidate civic actors."

What Next?

With the hearing postponed until June, all eyes now turn to whether the judiciary will proceed independently, or continue what many see as a politically motivated process.

Despite the looming legal threat, Alice Nkom remains defiant. A trailblazer for human rights and one of Cameroon’s first female lawyers, she has a history of challenging both colonial-era laws and authoritarian structures. Her supporters say she is being targeted not because of a technical infraction, but because of what she represents: an unrelenting voice for justice and civil rights in a nation grappling with democratic backsliding.

Cameroon Concord will continue to monitor developments in the case.

Reporting by Cameroon Concord Newsroom | Truth. Resistance. Liberation.