Retired Appeal Court Judge Faces Pressure Over Son Linked to Separatist Investigation

 By Nazie Agnes

A retired judge of the Appeal Courts in Cameroon, Boniface Lebog, is reportedly facing mounting pressure from security authorities following allegations involving his son, Thierry Marcel Mbock, who is suspected of links to separatist activities.

Sources familiar with the matter say that Mr. Mbock was detained earlier this year by security forces in Yaoundé in connection with an investigation related to the ongoing Anglophone crisis.  Since his release, Mr. Mbock has reportedly not been seen publicly, prompting security officers to intensify efforts to determine his whereabouts. According to the same sources, security officials have since contacted his father, Mr. Lebog, seeking information. It is alleged that Mr. Mbock was released under his father’s assurance that he would present his son to authorities whenever required.

The situation has reportedly placed the Retired Judge under significant pressure, as security forces continue to pursue updates regarding his son’s location amid the broader investigation. Human rights observers express concern that the targeting of a family member particularly a Retired Judge may constitute indirect coercion and raise questions regarding due process, proportionality, and the presumption of innocence. The reported actions may also reflect a broader pattern in which relatives of individuals suspected of separatist sympathies are subjected to intimidation or undue pressure by security forces.

This case underscores ongoing concerns about arbitrary arrest, conditional release practices, and the use of familial pressure within the context of Cameroon’s response to the Anglophone crisis.