National Unity Platform wants government to set up a special court to handle Human rights crimes

The latest report released by the Human Rights Watch on March 22nd has criticized Ugandan government for failure to hold accountable security officials who have unlawfully continued to detain and torture opposition supporters, peaceful protestors and government critics.

In the report titled ‘’I Only Need Justice: Unlawful Detention and Abuse in Unauthorized Places of Detention in Uganda’’ focused on documenting alleged disappearances, arbitrary arrests, torture and other ill-treatment by the Police, Army, the Internal Security Organization from 2018 to the general elections period in 2021. 

The 91-page report includes interviews from upto 51 people who include former detainees, witnesses of abductions and arrests, human rights activists, diplomats and journalists in Kampala who narrate the stories that have caused them persistent physical, mental and economic problems.

In his speech, the Uganda researcher at Human Rights Watch Mr. Oryem Nyeko said the interviewed victims in this report faced plenty of impunity and humiliating experiences which included sexual violence, skin peeling with pliers, their finger nails plugged out, injections of unidentified substances and many other traumatizing experiences.

According to Oryem, former detainees told them of instances where  security officers denied them access to lawyers and family.

‘’Urgent steps are needed to help victims, to hold abusive security agents to account and to end this specter of impunity and justice’’ Oryem added emphasizing that authorities have done little to provide justice to victims though they acknowledged these abuses sometimes.

Oryem emphasized that both the Ugandan and International law prohibit arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and torture and he called upon authorities to close all unlawful detention centers, investigate all reports of abuse and also the government to ensure justice for victims.

David Lewis Rubongoya the secretary general of the National Unity Platform also present at the launch said that there should also be a political solution because some are tortured because of their political beliefs and opinions.

‘’There should also be a court devoted to Human Rights because there are thousands of victims detained for long  but fail to get justice’’ Rubongoya suggested.

Renowned musician Buken Ali AKA Nubian Li also called upon the government to reflect on their actions of torture or risk a heavy boycott from both local and international societies who have continued to warn them but their pleas have since fallen on deaf ears.

This launch that was also attended by the CEO of the African Center for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims Mr. Samuel H Nsubuga, Ms. Marita Mugusha, Ms. Carine Kaneza all joined their voices saying that a complete overhaul of torture will only perpetuate the culture of impunity and hinder the creation of rights-respecting.