One year after the murder of journalist Martínez Zogo, IPI reiterates its call for justice

A year after the gruesome murder of journalist Martínez Zogo, Cameroonian authorities have yet to shed light on the circumstances surrounding his kidnapping, torture and murder or hold suspects accountable.

Zogo was kidnapped on January 17, 2023, in Yaoundé, and his body was found four days later, on January 21.

Following the kidnapping and murder of Mr. Zogo, authorities arrested several people, including two key suspects, Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga and Léopold Maxim Eko Eko. However, the military court in charge of the matter has not yet concluded its investigation.

One of the suspects, Amougou Belinga, is a businessman and media mogul, owner of the newspaper L’Anecdote and the television channels Vision 4 and Telesud, while Maxim Eko Eko is the director of the state foreign intelligence service. .

In March last year, the duo were reportedly charged with torture and have both been accused of having played a role in Zogo’s death. On December 1, a leaked document from a military court showed that Judge Sikati II Kamo had apparently signed a release order ordering the release of the couple after their continued detention. However, Kamo denied the report calling it “false information.” A few days later, the judge was replaced by another magistrate.

As a result, in less than ten months, two judges working on the Martínez Zogo investigation have been dismissed and replaced by the authorities. This has not only derailed the investigation and judicial proceedings, but has raised concerns about authorities’ interference in the case, casting doubt on the independence of the judicial system in Cameroon.

Recently, reports said that another public official, Stéphane Martin Savom, mayor of the Bibey municipality in central Cameroon, was summoned for questioning in connection with the case.

The investigation into Zogo’s murder is believed to maintain considerable suspense, given the involvement of senior public figures and close allies of rival political clans in the country.

“It is still not clear who the alleged masterminds of the kidnapping, torture and murder of journalist Martínez Zogo are,” Alex Koko A Dang, president of the Union of Independent Journalists of Cameroon (SYNAJIC), told IPI. “Investigations are ongoing and justice has not yet been served to our colleague. The Martínez Zogo affair seems like a movie whose only actors are the Cameroonian authorities.”

Before his death, Zogo was director of the private radio station Amplitude FM based in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. He hosted a program called “Embouteillage” (equivalent to “Gridlock” in English) that exposed poor governance practices, acts of corruption and alleged misappropriation of public funds by senior officials.

On the anniversary of Zogo’s murder, IPI calls on authorities to accelerate their investigation.

“A year has passed since the kidnapping and murder of Martínez Zogo and, despite the arrest of some suspects, justice has still not been served and numerous questions remain,” said Amy Brouillette, IPI advocacy director, “whether the authorities of Cameroon believe that the international community will forget this case, they are wrong.”

He added: “The authorities must ensure an independent, transparent and thorough investigation into Martínez’s murder and ensure that the judicial system is free to work independently to uncover the truth, deliver justice and hold the perpetrators of this horrific crime to account. . Failure to credibly resolve this case will only further jeopardize the safety of journalists in Cameroon.”