Kampala, 20th/January/2012;
Three journalists
who were covering the arrest of opposition politicians at Katwe, Ssezibwa and
Katonga road in Kampala have been
injured following attacks from multiple sources including law enforcement
officers.
Several
other politicians were arrested and detained at Jinja road and Kiira Police
Station and beaten by law enforcement officers including police. The arrested
included the leader of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Dr. Kiiza Besigye,
MPs Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda, Wafula Oguttu, and Ingrid Turinawe among others. The arrest followed an opposition meeting by
politicians who were at that time matching to Katwe, a Kampala suburb where
they were planning to hold a public rally.
The victim
journalists Include Michael Kigozi a journalist with Radio One and Two commonly
known as Akaboozi ku bbiri, Hadijah Mwanje the Vice Chairperson of HRNJ-Uganda
and a journalist with K-FM and Nasser Kayanja a journalist with Radio Simba.
Kigozi was
beaten up by a policeman at Kiira road police. He hit him with a baton about
ten times on his hands and other body parts as he demanded why he had taken
photos without permission.
The police
had earlier in the day arrested the opposition Forum for Democratic Change
(FDC) leader Dr. Kizza Besigye and other opposition politicians over a planned
opposition rally at Katwe in Uganda’s Capital Kampala. Besigye along with
others had been detained at Kiira road police.
Kigozi says
that the policeman mistook him for a photo journalist when he pulled out a
mobile phone from his pockets at a time when a police vehicle had just arrived
and packed at the police entrance.
“It was about 7:40Pm, the policemen were still ring-guarding
the place, when a bus came and parked outside, I moved closer to observe. When
I pulled out my mobile phone, this policeman descended on me and started
hitting me with a baton demanding to know why I was taking photographs. Three
other policemen joined shortly. Other policemen standing by pleaded for my
innocence in vain. I was actually very shocked about this attack. It was a bit
dark and I could not identify the policemen who beat me up since there was no
security right at the police.” Kigozi told Human Rights Network for
Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda).
He is however reluctant to pursue a legal case since he can
hardly identify his attackers. He says that an apology from them, once
identified would do for him. He was not injured but experienced body pains.
The Kiira road Division Police commander (DPC) Moses Ochieng
told HRNJ-Uganda that he was not aware of the incident, “I am not aware of such
an incident but I know Kigozi very well, so am going to investigate the matter
and take punitive action against all those involved.”
In a related development, another journalist, Nasser Kayanja
working with Radio Simba sustained an injury on his right leg when covering a
scuffle of police trying to block the Kampala district Woman Member of
Parliament, Nabbilah Naggayi from holding a political rally at Katwe in
Kampala.
“I was hit by a stone during running battles between the
police and Nabbilah’s supporters. Police fired tear gas to disperse them. I was
hit with a stone and sustained an injury which was treated at Mulago hospital.”
Kayanja told HRNJ-Uganda.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairperson of HRNJ-Uganda, Hadijah
Mwanje survived arrest along Ssezibwa road in Kampala where police had
intercepted DR. Kizza Besigye and other opposition politicians.
The K-FM radio journalist and news anchor was mistaken for
being Nabbilah’s young sister, prompting a plain-clothed security man to grab
her by the arm.
“He approached me and pronounced me under arrest. I
identified myself as a journalist but he could not listen to me and other
journalists who had now taken to defending me. I was only saved by the DPC for
the Central Police Station-Kampala, Norman Musinga who stopped my arrest.”
Hadijah, who has been a target of the police during riots and demonstrations
before, told HRNJ-Uganda.
“We are witnessing a pattern of police attacks against
journalists during demonstrations. So we realize that there is a deliberate
move to silence the media from documenting their brutal acts committed against
demonstrators who are expressing their grievances thereby denying the people
their rights to be heard. These attacks also violate media rights and freedom as
prescribed in the Constitution, regional and international treaties.” noted the
Programme Coordinator, Geoffrey Wokulira Ssebaggala.
HRNJ-Uganda, strongly appeals to the Police Professional
Standard Unit (PSU) to make public the findings of all the previous cases of
violations against journalists filed with them as they embark on investigating
these new cases which are equally important. This backlog must be cleared as
soon as possible so as to expedite justice.
For More Information Contact;
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda
(HRNJ-Uganda)
Kivebulaya Road at Mengo Kampala Opp. St.
Marcelino Pre. School
P.O.BOX. 71314 Clock Tower Kampala
Tel: +256-414-272934 / +256-414-667627
E-mail: news@hrnjuganda.org
Website: www.hrnjuganda.org
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