Kampala, 21st/August/2014; Hearing
of a complaint in which, Gideon Tugume, a journalist formerly working with
Capital Radio, accuses the Uganda Police Force of shooting and causing grave injuries
to him while covering the return of Dr Kiiza Besigye from Nairobi in May 2011 has
kicked off Thursday August 21, at the Uganda Human Rights Commission Tribunal
with the victim implicating the police chief’s body guard in the shooting.
Appearing
before Commissioner Violet Akurut Adowe, at Ntinda, Tugume recounted that on
that day, while covering the said events at Kibuye round about, he was shot by
one of the Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura’s body guards at
around 2pm.
“I raised my hands up saying please don’t
shoot I am a journalist. Before I completed my sentence, I felt a sharp pain on
my right knee before suddenly falling down,” Tugume told the Tribunal, adding
that he was wearing a press jacket, an identification press tag and held his audio
recorder. He said after the shooting he was rushed to Mulago hospital by a
police ambulance where he spent a night before being transferred to AAR Health
Services in Kololo.
Tugume further
told the Tribunal that a few months later after the shooting, Capital Radio his
employer then terminated his services for continuous absence from duty due to
the injuries sustained and has since remained jobless.
Another
witness, Lubwama Kajoba, who was also covering the events, testified before the
Tribunal that he saw a “uniformed police officer shooting at Tugume at Kibuye
round about”.
In 2011,
Tugume through Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) filed
a complaint before the Uganda Human Rights Commission alleging a violation of
his right to protection from torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment
contrary to Article 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda. Tugume
seeks compensation and protection from further harassment by the Police force.
HRNJ-Uganda
legal officer, Catherine Anite is Counsel for the complainant while Richard
Adrole is representing the Attorney General. The matter was adjourned to
September 18th 2014 for further hearing.
“HRNJ-Uganda
is hopeful that justice will prevail. This matter has dragged, so we implore
the Uganda Human Rights Commission to expeditiously hear and determine this and
other complaints on infringement of media rights filed by journalists years
back.” said Robert Ssempala, the HRNJ-Uganda National Coordinator.
For More Information Contact;
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda)
Plot 18, Block 12 Stensera Road Kayanja Triangle Zone
P.O.BOX. 71314 Clock Tower Kampala. Tel: +256-414-272934 / +256-414-667627
E-mail: news@hrnjuganda.org / humanrajournalists@yahoo.co.uk / Website: www.hrnjuganda.org; BLOG: http://hrnjuganda.blogpost.com
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda)
Plot 18, Block 12 Stensera Road Kayanja Triangle Zone
P.O.BOX. 71314 Clock Tower Kampala. Tel: +256-414-272934 / +256-414-667627
E-mail: news@hrnjuganda.org / humanrajournalists@yahoo.co.uk / Website: www.hrnjuganda.org; BLOG: http://hrnjuganda.blogpost.com
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