Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Juliet Kigongo
Published on 2024-01-30 14:23:17
High Court judge Esta Nambayo has scheduled a hearing for April 8 to consider a petition filed by the families of 18 opposition members who were allegedly arrested by security agencies. The families have asked the court to declare the continued detention of their relatives illegal.
The group has never been presented in any court or charged with any offense, and their relatives have been unable to access them. The lawyers representing the group, PACE Advocates, are seeking a declaration that the continued detention of the 18 people by state agents is unlawful and violates their fundamental human rights as per the 1995 Constitution. They are also seeking compensation for breach of rights and payment for general and punitive damages.
The 18 missing people, along with 12 of their spouses and relatives, are listed as joint complainants in the case filed on January 30 at the Kampala High Court against the Attorney General. The missing persons include individuals such as John Bosco Kibalama, John Damulira, Shafik Wangolo, and others, with their relatives also being part of the complaint.
The families allege that the 18 people were last seen being arrested and detained by security agencies, but the police and the Uganda Human Rights Commission have failed to account for them. The complaint states that the Attorney General is vicariously liable for the human rights violations and misconduct of the security agencies and has a duty to account for the whereabouts of the missing individuals.
In a sworn statement, one of the complainants, Monica Catherine Nabukeera, recounts the disappearance of her husband, Kibalama, in June 2019. She describes the actions taken by the police and government institutions in trying to locate him, but to no avail.
Another complainant, Winfred Katana, describes the disappearance of her husband Damulira in November 2020 and the lack of information on his whereabouts.
The court is yet to summon the Attorney General to file a defense in the matter. Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) claims that the majority of the missing people were abducted before, during, and after the 2021 general electoral process.
