Uganda: NAFEO Call on President Yoweri Museveni to respect press freedom
The Network of African Freedom of Expression Organisations (NAFEO) has observed the escalating attacks and harassments of press freedom, media and journalists in Uganda. The latest development occurred on April 26, 2008 with the raids by Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) on the offices of privately-owned newspaper "The Independent" and the home of its publisher, Andrew Mwenda.
NETWORK OF AFRICAN FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ORGANISATIONS (NAFEO)
Statement
May 29, 2008
Call on President Yoweri Museveni to respect press freedom
The Network of African Freedom of Expression Organisations (NAFEO) has observed the escalating attacks and harassments of press freedom, media and journalists in Uganda.
The latest development occurred on April 26, 2008 with the raids by Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) on the offices of privately-owned newspaper "The Independent" and the home of its publisher, Andrew Mwenda. After ransacking the two places, the CMI personnel seized various documents and press equipment including lap-top, desktop computers, video-cassettes, flash-disks and CD-ROMs. Apart from Andrew Mwenda, the military agents arrested two journalists of "The Independent" namely Odobo Bichachi and John Njoroge. The three were taken to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID). They were released on bail a few hours later. The intelligence personnel was searching materials after the newspaper published testimonies of people who have been detained incommunicado and tortured for several years in Ugandan prisons.
NAFEO condemns this assault which is a blatant violation of press freedom. It also denounces the use of seditious and anti-terrorism legislations in order to silence free media by pushing them to a state of self censorship.
As a signatory to most of the relevant international conventions on human rights particularly the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Uganda should give effect to these instruments. We therefore call on the Government of President Yoweri Museveni to:
1. Drop all charges against "The Independent" and its journalists
2. End harassment of journalists and people expressing themselves
3. Return all seized items to the newspaper and its publisher
4. Repeal unlawful legislation that criminalise speech.
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Issued by NAFEO, Accra, May 29, 2008
The Network of African Freedom of Expression Organisations (NAFEO) promotes and defends freedom of press and expression in the continent. It was established in October 2005 by several significant freedom of expression Organisations in Africa.