A group of UN human rights experts has called on the Cameroon government to release detained opposition leader, Maurice Kamto, as well as hundreds of his supporters who were arrested following nationwide protests on 22 September.

Mr Kamto has been held under house arrest for three weeks now.

The military surrounded his home after he called for countrywide protests to force President Paul Biya, in power now for 38 years, to resign.

About 500 of Mr Kamto’s supporters were also arrested, and more than 200 of them are still in custody.

The 14 independent UN experts have also called for an impartial investigation into alleged human rights violations by the Cameroon government.

The police declined the BBC’s request for comment.

The government’s spokesman, Emmanuel Sadi, and his colleague of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, had earlier threatened to ban Mr Kamto’s party, Cameroon Renaissance Movement, as well as take up legal action against the opposition leader.