2 men found guilty under Cameroon's anti-gay law, latest in string of convictions
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A lawyer says a court in Cameroon has found two men guilty under the African country's harsh law banning gay sex, the latest in a string of recent convictions.
Michel Togue, a lawyer representing the suspects, said judges Tuesday sentenced 48-year-old Joseph Omgbwa to two years in prison, while 19-year-old Nicolas Ntamack received a one-year term.
A third suspect, Seraphin Ntsama, was acquitted.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The conviction comes less than two weeks after a prominent Cameroonian gay rights activist, Eric Ohena Lembembe, was tortured and killed, sparking an international outcry.
Human Rights Watch researcher Neela Ghoshal called the verdict "shameful."
The men were arrested in August 2011. Because Omgbwa has been in custody since then, he is expected to technically finish his sentence next month. Ntamack was released on bail last year.