Human rights activist stopped from leaving the country

Cameroonian human rights activist Abdoulaye Math, was on Wednesday stopped from leaving the country for Ireland, Amnesty International told IRIN on Friday. His documents, it added, were confiscated and not returned. Math, president of the Movement for the Defence of Freedom and Human Rights (MDDLH- French acronym) was arrested in the capital Yaounde, shortly before leaving for an international human rights in Dublin. According to AI, he was arrested by members of the National Center for External Research, detained for five hours and released on Thursday morning. Although he pleaded for his documents during a meeting with the director of the state security apparatus, they were not given back, AI said. Math, who was also arrested in August by the same security office, was in Yaounde awaiting further meetings with the authorities. His organisation is based in Northern Cameroon. AI, who on Thursday said the arrest "underlines a consistent pattern of intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders in Cameroon", called on the government of Cameroon to stop restricting the right to movement and free speech, and respect international standard for the protection of rights defenders. AI also urged the government to ensure that security forces respect human rights.