Young Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Texting A Boko Haram Joke (Photo)

In a very shocking story published by Amnesty International, a young man, Ivo Fomusoh, has been tried, convicted and sent to 10 years imprisonment for ‘texting a joke.’ Ivo’s brother, Fomusoh Eric, tells his story: Two years ago, my brother Fomusoh Ivo Feh was a young man just about to start university. He knew how hard it was to find a job in our country Cameroon without a degree. But a tough job market wasn’t the only struggle facing our country. The armed group Boko Haram was also carrying out attacks in Cameroon, causing the government to enact a fierce crackdown on alleged sympathizers. In a very shocking story published by Amnesty International, a young man, Ivo Fomusoh, has been tried, convicted and sent to 10 years imprisonment for ‘texting a joke.’ Ivo’s brother, Fomusoh Eric, tells his story: Two years ago, my brother Fomusoh Ivo Feh was a young man just about to start university. He knew how hard it was to find a job in our country Cameroon without a degree. But a tough job market wasn’t the only struggle facing our country. The armed group Boko Haram was also carrying out attacks in Cameroon, causing the government to enact a fierce crackdown on alleged sympathizers. His friend texted him something that sounded like a job advertisement, but was clearly a joke: “Boko Haram recruits young people from 14 years old and above. Conditions for recruitment: 4 subjects at GCE, including religion.” To students like Ivo and his friends, the idea that not even Boko Haram would take you on without proper academic qualifications would be quite funny. So Ivo did something we all do—he shared the joke with his friend. Who shared it with his friend. Who had his phone taken by a teacher. Who called the police. All three students were arrested. All of a sudden, my brother’s hopes of earning his degree and getting a good job came crashing down on him. As a result of Cameroon’s strict laws, Ivo’s sarcastic text was interpreted as a recruitment message. Recently, ‘he and his friends were sentenced to 10 years in prison for non-denunciation of terrorist acts.” There is no doubt that Boko Haram terrifies us. Over 170,000 people in Cameroon have fled their homes, and 65,000 people from Nigeria have sought refuge here as well. But locking up innocent people like my brother and keeping them in dangerous conditions is wrong. It is bad enough that we fear Boko Haram. We should not have to fear those who swear to protect us as well. I am so grateful for the international attention that Ivo’s case has received so far. The case of Ivo and his friends has been highlighted as part of Amnesty International’s annual Write for Rights campaign, urging people around the world to take action on behalf of human rights. Thousands of people around the world are calling on the government of Cameroon to release my brother from jail and have him come home. Forcing innocent people to forfeit their lives and their futures in the name of national security is no way to keep a country safe. Boko Haram must be stopped, but not at the price of personal freedom. Until those unjustly imprisoned are freed, peace here in Cameroon will be impossible.