The State Department on Tuesday condemned the murder of Cameron gay rights activist Eric Ohena Lembembe.

According to a report by Human Rights Watch, Lembembe, the executive director of the Cameroonian Foundation for AIDS (CAMFAIDS), was found murdered in his home. He appeared to have been tortured to death.

“We deplore the brutal murder of Eric Ohena Lembembe,” a state department spokesperson said in a statement, “who was found tortured to death in his home in Yaunde yesterday. We condemn this terrible act in the strongest terms and urge the Cameroonian authorities to thoroughly and promptly investigate and prosecute those responsible for his death.”

After being unable to reach Lembembe by phone for two days, friends checked in on him at his home. They found his front door padlocked on the outside. Through a window they could see Lembembe's limp body lying on his bed. Police were called to the scene and they broke down the door.

One eyewitness said that the LGBT rights activist appeared to have been tortured to death, his neck and feet broken, and his face, hands and feet burned with an iron.

“The United States actively promotes respect for the human rights of all people, including LGBT individuals, in Cameroon and around the world,” the spokesperson added. “We will continue to support activists, like Mr. Lembembe, who stand up for the human rights of all people, regardless of who they are or who they love.”

Lembembe's murder follows several attacks on other prominent human rights activists.

(Related: Cameroon gay rights lawyer Michel Togue seeks refuge in United States.)