A coalition of European Union Envoys to Uganda, from Italy, Natherlands, Denmark, Australia, France, Ireland, Germany and Sweden have today Monday joined human rights defenders in condemning the alleged state of torture in the country.
This development comes at the backdrop of opposition MPs’ boycott of plenary on Tuesday, and demostration against the continued detention and torture of Legislators Allan Ssewanyana and Muhammad Ssegirinya.
In a joint statement that was released today morning, the ambassadors noted with concern that recent reviews by Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) and other rights groups, underline the presence of persistent torture in the East African country.
The envoys also averred to the fact that the advocators of respect for human rights confirmed the presence of violation of fundamental human entitlements, like the excessive use of force by Police, restrictions on freedom of expression and the media.
This includes harassment of journalists through issuing threats, illegal detention, violence metted against journalists and human rights defenders.
To this effect, the envoys commiserated with a section of Ugandans who live in a state of fear and pain as a result of these abuses by the security agencies.
“The EU delegation fully shares the concern of many Ugandan stakeholders over a situation that for more than a year, has seen a significant increase in reports of torture, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, harassment, as well as attacks on human rights defenders, members of the opposition and environmental rights activists,” reads the statement.
In the statement, it was also made clear that such acts are against the national constitution, regional and universal laws that stipulate peoples rights and freedoms.
“The arbitrary arrest of people by security services, holding them in ungazetted places of detention for prolonged periods of time, torturing them, not bringing them before courts within the mandatory time limits are violations of Uganda’s national legislation, regional and international commitments, as well as specific presidential guidelines,” reads the statement.
The envoys also urged Ugandan authorities to urgently ensure a comprehensive investigation into all reported abuses, including the skirmishes that occured between 18th and 19th November 2020, which left about 53 people dead, and many more injured.
Most importantly, they called for the immidiate release, or arraigning in courts of law for those held incommunicado, and hold accountable, the notorious human rights violators.
Calls by EU envoys add weight to several concerns raised by human rights groups in the country on disregard of fundamental human rights by state security agences like the army and police. These violations which have raised alarm amongst custodians of human rights include arbitrary arrests, detention without trial, and gruesome torture in detention centres.
Several opposition political figure heads, who have ended in Kitalya prison have alleged gruesome torture by security agencies.
Recently, sartirical novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija recounted the horror and pain he went through, during his incarceration in Kitalya jail.
It should be remmembered that earlier on January 5th 2021, Eamon Gilmore, EU’s special representative for human rights in Uganda, and other EU ambassadors joined activists in demanding the respect for human rights and freedoms in the country.
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