Regina Martinez – Status: Case Closed & No Charges Laid Against Perpetrator
June 11, 2025
James Foley – Status: No Court case Initiated
July 23, 2025
On August 17, 2019, Journalist Samuel Wazizi, known for exposing human rights violations during Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis, died in detention under unclear circumstances. His critical reporting and outspoken views on government handling of the crisis made him a target, highlighting the risks faced by journalists in the region.
Journalist Information:
Name: Samuel Wazizi
Age: 36
Gender: Male
DOB: 06/06/1984
Nationality: Cameroonian
Last company worked for: Chillen Muzik and TV (CMTV)
Family: Wazizi left behind his siblings and his parents when he got arrested, which initially led to his death.
Incident Information:
Date of incident – 17 August 2019
Location of incident – Yaounde, Cameroon
Offense victim of: Assassination
Weapons included – Torture
Samuel Wazizi had been arrested two weeks earlier in relation to his reporting. The precise circumstances and location of his death, which were not announced until 10 months later, are unknown.
Suspect(s) Information:
Perpetrator Identified: No
Proof of Targeting the Journalist: Wazizi was arrested on August 03, rather than August 02, and said that his arrest took place in Ekana, rather than Buea, both in contradiction of his employer, family, friends, and lawyer’s reports from the time. The statement said he was suspected of “having connections with terrorists and complicity in terrorist acts.”
Reason for Killing: According to the information received on June 05, 2020, the spokesperson for the Cameroonian Ministry of Defense, Colonel Cyrille Atonfack, issued a statement confirming that Mr. Samuel Wazizi died at the Yaounde Military Hospital as a result of severe sepsis on August 17, 2019. The statement denied allegations according to which he would have been tortured in detention, and further stated that the family had been informed of his death, which they later refuted.
Progress of the Case: The case would not have been able to move on as Samuel Wazizi has passed away, so the case has not yet been processed.