Uganda Alert: Journalist arrested, charged with sedition

Kampala, 03/08/2010: Uganda Record journalist Timothy Kalyegira has been charged with sedition over bomb blast story.

Kalyegira who was summoned on last Thursday 29th/07/2010 was arrested on 02nd/08/2010 at Kibuli Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters and released on bond.

Uganda Record one of Uganda’s online magazines established 2009 July is allegedly to have published stories on both 12th/07/2010 and 16th/07/2010 under a subtitle “who set off the Uganda bombs?”

The law on sedition is commonly used in Uganda against journalists and other people with divergent views. More than a dozen of journalists are being prosecuted under sedition. It’s now more than five years since journalist Andrew Mwenda challenged the constitutionality of the law on sedition before the constitutional court. “The law does not only infringe on the right to freedom of expression, conscience and opinion but it bars the public from checking those in power and holding them accountable for the actions” Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) Programmes Coordinator Geoffrey Wokulira Ssebaggala said.

Article 29 (a) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda says every person shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression which shall include freedom of the press and other media.

According the bond, Kalyegira is required to report to Kira road police station on 03rd/08/2010 at 10:00am for interrogation.

For more information contact;
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda)
Plot 16 Clement Hill Road Nakasero
P.O.Box. 71314 Clock Tower Kampala – Uganda
TeL: +256-414-667627 / +256-701-810079
E-mail: news@hrnjuganda.org
humanrajournalists@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.hrnjuganda.org
Or Blog: http://hrnjuganda.blogpost.com