REDHAC CASE: Alice Nkom handed suspended sentence, cleared of rebellion

 

Veteran lawyer and human rights defender Barrister Angèle Alice Nkom has been handed a one-year suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of breaking administrative seals placed on the offices of the Central African Human Rights Defenders Network (REDHAC).

The sentence was handed down by the Douala-Bonanjo Court of First Instance on Monday, September 21, 2026.

Nkom, who chairs REDHAC’s Board of Directors, was found guilty of breaking the seals placed on the organisation’s offices in Douala following an administrative suspension in December 2024.

The one-year prison term has been suspended for five years, meaning Nkom will not immediately serve the sentence.

However, the court acquitted Nkom and REDHAC Executive Director Dr Maximilienne Ngo Mbe of charges of rebellion, ruling that the offence had not been established.

The case dates back to December 2024, when the Minister of Territorial Administration suspended REDHAC’s activities for three months. The ministry cited several grounds for the decision, including what it described as “illegal and exorbitant financing”.

Administrative seals were subsequently placed on REDHAC’s offices. Nkom later broke the seals, challenging the legality of the decision.

She and Ngo Mbe were subsequently summoned before the Douala-Bonanjo Court of First Instance, where they pleaded not guilty.

The proceedings were adjourned several times before the prosecution and defence presented their final arguments on September 7.

The prosecution called on the court to establish the criminal responsibility of the two defendants, while the defence sought their acquittal.

In Monday’s ruling, the court distinguished between the charges, clearing both Nkom and Ngo Mbe of rebellion while convicting Nkom of breaking administrative seals.