SECTOR 1 for the alleged mistreatment of workers, the story has mostly stayed out of the Cameroon media. It is widely believed that the Bollore Group uses both its influence over public authorities and its advertising power to silence reporting that is critical of the nature of their operations. Infringements on freedom of expression take both direct and indirect forms. Police and prosecutors allegedly use ‘trumped up’ charges to punish citizens on behalf of the government for the views they hold. ’You could say something today and the authorities wait even for three years until you have a quarrel with your neighbour to pounce on you,’ said a panellist. ’You may not be charged with saying or writing something offensive to the authorities. The dispute is used as a pretext to punish you for those views.’ Another panellist said that even in meetings, particularly those called by the government. ’People mind what they say so that they do not find themselves on the wrong side.’ Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ 2.8 (2008 = 2.6; 2011 = 2.7; 2014 = 3.1) 1.3 There are no laws or parts of laws restricting freedom of expression such as excessive official secret, libel acts, legal requirements that restrict the entry into the journalistic profession or laws that unreasonably interfere with the functions of media In contradiction to the Constitution, panellists describe a context where numerous pieces of legislation have been created to restrict freedom of expression in Cameroon. Most legislative restrictions to freedom of expression are insidious in character. For example, administrative authorities are empowered to maintain public order; this power has been repeatedly used to ban demonstrations, protests and press conferences. The laws, including the Social Communication law of 1990, leave the notion of public order vague and subject to interpretation which administrative authorities can invoke it discretionally. In 2015, a press conference on ‘electoral governance and democratic power change’ was banned in Yaoundé. Authorities 13 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER CAMEROON 2018