Ongoing prosecution of woman human rights defender Maximilienne Ngo Mbe

On 16 March 2026, the eighth hearing in the case of the State of Cameroon v. Alice Knom and Maximilienne Ngo Mbe is scheduled to take place at the Court of First Instance in Douala-Bonajo. Woman human rights defender Maximilienne Ngo Mbe’s charges include ‘Breach of Seals (« bris des scellés »), rebellion, and other offences.’ Her trial commenced on 7 April 2025 and has been marked by several adjournments, leading to a prolonged judicial process and frequent court summonses.

Maximilienne Ngo Mbe is a woman human rights defenders and the Executive Director of REDHAC, the Central African Network of Human Rights Defenders. She has been targeted with threats and smear campaigns in relation to REDHAC’s work in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon and their work with the LGBTQI+ community.

The sixth hearing in the case against Maximilienne Ngo Mbe took place at the Court of First Instance in Douala-Bonajo on 2 February 2026. The hearing began with a closing argument by a representative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. They recounted the series of events, beginning with the alleged ‘breach of seals’ on 9 December 2024 and presented a series of documents outlining the alleged crimes to the Court. A member of the woman human rights defender’s legal team then argued that the majority of the 60 documents presented by the Prosecutor’s office should be deemed inadmissible, citing relevant provisions of the Cameroonian Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure. Finally, Maximilienne Ngo Mbe pleaded not guilty. The Court ruled that around 50 of the 60 documents submitted by the Public Prosecutor’s Officen were inadmissible, and adjourned the trial until 2 March 2026 at the Public Prosecutor’s Office request, in order for them to gather further evidence against the defendants.

On 2 March 2026, the prosecutor briefly recounted the allegations against the defendants. They continued to claim that the defendants had displayed a defiant attitude towards the authorities by allegedly failing to comply with multiple summonses sent by the Prefect of Wouri Department. Despite the fact that the previous hearing held in December 2025 had already been held in their absence, the Prefect, the civil party representing the State, was not present again at the sixth and seventh hearings. Their absence in December 2025 had led the presiding judge to adjourn the case to February 2026 for the ‘appearance of all parties.’ Following the Prosecutor’s brief, several members of Maximilienne Ngo Mbe’s legal team presented arguments to the Court. They referred to the work of the woman human rights defender, highlighting her commitment to promoting and protecting human rights. They also pointed out the Prefect's repeatedly absence, claiming that it showed a lack of respect for the judiciary and appeared to be a deliberate tactic by the authorities to prolong the trial.

During the same hearing, the legal team also drew attention to the illegalities surrounding REDHAC’s suspension of activities and closing of its offices. They recalled that the order suspending REDHAC’s activities did not mention sealing the office. This means that the authorities' decision to seal the office on 9 December 2024 was arbitrary. Therefore, the actions of REDHAC members when 'breaking the seals' were indeed within their rights. The legal team also presented the numerous irregularities they observed and documented throughout the trial, since April 2025, and requested that the Court acquits Maximilienne Ngo Mbe. The presiding judge adjourned the case to 16 March 2026.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Cameroon to drop all charges against woman human rights defender Maximilienne Ngo Mbe and acquit her. Her criminalisation and prolonged judicial harassment appear to be deliberate attempts by the authorities to retaliate against her and REDHAC for their legitimate and peaceful human rights work. Front Line Defenders also calls the attention to the ongoing widespread oppression of human rights defenders, activists, journalists, and peaceful protesters in Cameroon.

On 6 October 2025, the Douala-Bonanjo Court of First Instance held the third hearing in the case of the State of Cameroon v. women human rights defenders Alice Nkom and Maximilienne Ngo Mbe, Co-Chair and Executive Director of the Central Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (REDHAC). The hearing was again postponed, with the judge issuing a final adjournment to 1 December 2025.

The hearing proceeded in the absence of the Prefect of Wouri, representing the State and civil party in the case, and of human rights defender Maximilienne Ngo Mbe. Citing these absences, the Court ordered a final postponement to allow the appearance of the Prefect and the opening of substantive debates. This marks the third adjournment since April 2025 in proceedings initiated against the two defenders and REDHAC for alleged “breaking of seals,” “rebellion,” and “other offences,” following the forced closure of the organisation’s offices in December 2024 by the Ministry of Territorial Administration.

REDHAC and its Cameroon Country Coalition denounced the repeated delays as part of a pattern of judicial harassment aimed at undermining the organisation and intimidating its leadership. They also expressed concern about the increasingly tense socio-political climate ahead of the 2025 presidential elections and reiterated their call for the adoption of the draft law on the promotion and protection of human rights defenders currently before the Senate.