A local social media celebrity known as Shakiro, who also is identified as Loic Njeukam, and Patricia, also identified as Roland Mouthe, were arrested on Feb. 8. Human rights activists say their detention is part of the growing criminalization of sexual minorities and transgender people in Cameroon. The two received the maximum sentence of five years in prison and fines of 200,000 CFA francs ($372.44), their lawyers told Reuters. Besides “attempted homosexuality,” they were convicted of public indecency and failing to carry identification. “This is a political decision,” said one of the lawyers, Alice Nkom, who vowed to appeal the verdict. “It’s Yaounde (the central government) that said these people must not bring homosexuality to Cameroon.”