HL Deb 04 February 1998 vol 585 cc113-4WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will instruct the British High Commissioner in Yaounde to ask the Cameroon authorities for permission to visit Mr. Pius Njawe, editor-in-chief of the weekly Le Messager, who was sentenced to imprisonment for two years on 13 January for publishing an article entitled "Is President Biya Sick?", in which it was reported that the President had suffered a heart attack at the Cameroon Cup football finals. [HL288]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

The British High Commissioner in Yaounde visited Mr. Pius Njawe in prison on 7 January and found him in good health. Our High Commissioner subsequently made representations to the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Cameroon about the excessive sentence given to Pius Njawe.