The trial of Patrick Mengue, initially scheduled for this Monday at the Yaoundé Military Tribunal, has been postponed to May 25th due to the defendant's absence [cite: ]. Judicial authorities stated that the detainee had not been extracted from his place of detention to be presented before the judges [cite: ].
Patrick Mengue's absence caused incomprehension among his relatives and lawyers. According to information communicated at the hearing, the prison administration cited "non-extraction of the defendant" as the official reason for the postponement [cite: ].
The group of eight lawyers formed to defend him expressed their anger at this postponement, denouncing a delay that prolongs the uncertainty surrounding this sensitive case. Me Batam Nkolong, a member of the group, particularly insisted on this point [cite: ].
The case originates from a comment published by Patrick Mengue on social media following the announcement of the death of Marcel Niat Njifenji, president of the Cameroonian Senate. The authorities consider that the message "Lord, you are already getting closer to the target, one more effort please" constitutes a threat or incitement to violence against high-ranking state officials [cite: ].
Patrick Mengue's relatives and lawyers claim that he was arrested by plainclothes agents before being taken to the State Secretariat for Defense (SED). They also denounce brutal treatment during his detention and the lack of legal assistance during the initial hearings [cite: ].
The postponement of the trial to May 25th should allow the defense to better prepare its arguments, particularly regarding the conditions of the arrest and the procedural flaws raised since the start of the case. The Mengue affair highlights the tensions surrounding freedom of expression online in Cameroon. Patrick Mengue is currently detained at the Nkodengui Central Prison in Yaoundé, accused of cybercrime and alleged complicity in a coup attempt.
