Afriques en Lutte

Uganda : Press freedom group coordinator arrested after protesting police violence

HRNJ-Uganda — 2015-01-22T04:48:00Z

This statement was originally published on hrnjuganda.org on 13 January 2015.
Cruelty against journalists recurred when police officers associated with the Jinja Road Police Station intercepted and pepper-sprayed journalists who were peacefully walking to the police headquarters in Naguru, a suburb of Kampala. The journalists were going to petition the inspector general of police against violent attacks on journalists by police officers.
Earlier on, Human Rights Network for (…)

- Ouganda / Liberté de la presse

Radio journalist's sentence galvanises call to end criminal defamation in Uganda

HRNJ-Uganda — 2014-10-27T04:32:00Z

Human Rights Network for Journalist-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) is deeply saddened by the sentencing of a Central Broadcasting Services (CBS) radio journalist Ronald Ssembuusi on 17 October 2014 by Kalangala Magistrate's Court. Ssembuusi has been ordered to pay a fine of one million shillings [approximately USD $374.50] (UGX 500,000 to court and UGX 500,000 to the complainant) within one month from today or serve a jail term of one year. This is after the Grade 1 Magistrate, Kenneth Gimugum, (…)

- Ouganda / Liberté de la presse

Civic action launched against contentious public order law in Uganda

HRNJ-Uganda — 2013-09-21T03:45:00Z

Civil society organisations (CSOs), opposition political parties and members of parliament have launched a media campaign against the Public Order Management Bill (POMB), a law passed on 6 August 2013 by parliament in a controversial manner, that left four opposition members of the house suspended by the Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah for opposing the manner in which the process was handled. This law requires anyone seeking to hold a meeting, public rally and demonstration to first obtain (…)

- Ouganda / Droit humain

Under new law, Ugandans must request police's permission to protest

HRNJ-Uganda — 2013-08-26T03:36:00Z

On 6 August 2013, in less than two minutes, the Ugandan Parliament passed a controversial law – the Public Order Management (POM) Bill, which criminalizes public meetings and human rights activities. Under the law, anyone seeking to hold a meeting, public rally and demonstration must now, under Clauses 7 and 8, first obtain police permission. The ruling National Resistance Movement has the majority of members in Parliament.
The bill contravenes the Constitutional Court ruling which (…)

- Ouganda / Droit humain

Ugandan anti-corruption activists arrested, charged with inciting violence

HRNJ-Uganda — 2013-08-18T03:20:00Z

Ugandan police have arrested four anti-corruption activists and detained them for over six hours at the Central Police Station in Kampala for protesting the misuse and theft of public funds by government officials. Those arrested included : the vice chairperson of the National NGO Forum, Leonard Okello, the personal assistant to Bishop Zac Niringyiye, Andrew Karamagi, and Emmanuel Muwanika and Micheal Aboneka – both of the National NGO Forum. The four were charged with "inciting violence" (…)

- Ouganda / communiqués partis amis et associations, Répression

Ugandan police defy court order, occupy publication premises

HRNJ-Uganda — 2013-05-27T11:54:23Z

On 23 May 2013, Ugandan security operatives defied a court order demanding them to vacate the premises of Monitor publications, as they arrested five civil society members who were protesting the defiance.
The road to Monitor publications has been blocked and no one – including pedestrians – is allowed to use it, as more security personnel were deployed to guard the premises.
The siege of the Monitor and Red Pepper publications and the deactivation of Ddembe and KFM located (within the (…)

- Ouganda / Liberté de la presse

Ugandan prison warders attack reporters covering inmate escape

HRNJ-Uganda — 2013-04-08T03:26:00Z

Prison warders from the Kalisizo government prison assaulted two journalists who were covering news of the escape of over 10 inmates on 18 March, 2013 in the district of Rakai. Pascal Lutabi— a reporter with WBS television and the Daily Monitor — and John Bosco Mulyowa, who reports for the government-owned Bukedde radio, Bukedde television and Bukedde newspaper, were later detained at the Rakai police station for over an hour.
Lutabi was badly beaten and charged with assault. “They nearly (…)

- Ouganda / Liberté de la presse

Ouganda : Report indicates growing impunity in cases of attacks on journalists

HRNJ-Uganda — 2012-08-27T03:15:00Z

Kampala - A mid-year report released by the Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) has indicated that the environment for frontline journalists is getting more risky at the hands of the security agencies, especially the police.
HRNJ-Uganda has recorded 50 attacks on journalists in the past seven months alone compared to 107 cases documented in the whole of 2011. The Uganda Police continue to lead the list of attackers, with 26 cases, followed by State House operatives, (…)

- Ouganda / Liberté de la presse

Ouganda : Journalist held on treason charges released on bail

HRNJ-Uganda — 2012-08-02T03:31:00Z

High Court in Kampala has granted bail to a journalist suspected of treason after a year in jail. He however has been remanded to Luzira prison after failing to pay the bail money. Augustine Okello, a radio presenter at Rhino FM (a branch of Top Radio) in Lira was bonded on UG.X 8 million (approx. US$3200) cash bail which he failed to pay, sending his wife Christine Okello into tears. This was the third bail application after the previous two attempts were rejected.
He was granted bail due (…)

- Ouganda / Liberté de la presse

Ouganda : Press freedom continues to diminish, says new report

HRNJ-Uganda — 2012-05-20T03:36:00Z

Kampala - Attacks on journalists have escalated in the past six months despite the government's commitment to adhere to its international human rights obligations, with 32 cases of attacks since the review by the UN Human Rights Council, says HRNJ-Uganda's new report.
Despite the government's voluntary commitment to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of attacks, there has been no particular action taken, resulting in an increment in attacks. Print media journalists were most (…)

- Ouganda