One of 11 men
detained in Cameroon for being gay dies

Alim Mongoche (pictured), one of the so-called Yaounde 11 who were detained in a prison in the Cameroon capital for more than a year on sodomy charges, has died. The 30-year-old clothing designer passed away last week from AIDS-related complications. Mongoche and 10 other men were arrested in 2005 at a nightclub for allegedly being gay, which is illegal under the Cameroonian penal code. On June 12, 2006, he and six other men were convicted and sentenced to 10 months in prison, but were released for time served. Mongoche was taken straight to the hospital upon his release, after receiving no medical care for the duration of his imprisonment. (The Advocate)