Opposition Insists On Quick Release of Jailed Politicians

Mercy Nalugomercy Nalugo

27 April 2011

Kampala — Opposition leaders yesterday made a rallying call for the immediate release of FDC president Kizza Besigye and his DP counterpart Norbert Mao, now jailed in a government prison in Nakasongola. The call came as the opposition politicians disclosed they have scheduled a major public rally in Kampala on May 3 to discuss what they described as “deplorable police brutality against unarmed civilians”.

The leaders were on Tuesday speaking at a joint press conference held at DP headquarters in Kampala, attended by representatives from the Justice Forum, Uganda Peoples Congress and Democratic Party. “On behalf of a collective democratic opposition, we are deeply concerned and dismayed by the continued detention of key political leaders in the country. Mao, Besigye and other compatriots are being held incommunicado and incognito,” UPC president Olara Otunnu said on behalf of the other opposition leaders.

Condemn detentions

He added: “We condemn the continued detention and call on the government to immediately stop charges against them. The state should produce the leaders immediately in open courts and charge them so that they can be given an opportunity to defend themselves.” He said they have intelligence information that they want to charge the leaders silently in unknown courts. “In Nakasongola, they have no access to their own mobile phones, radio and television sets and their lawyers. They only negotiate with officers in-charge to make calls,” he said. “For four days now, they have been held without any contact with their families, leaders and this cannot be justified.”

Mr Mao was last Thursday transferred from Luzira Prison to Nakasongola Central Prison pending trial on May 2. Dr Besigye was later arrested on the same day in Kalerwe as he tried to continue with the Walk-to-Work campaign to his party offices in Najjanankumbi. He was charged with unlawful assembly by a Nabweru court before being sent to prison.

The bi-weekly Walk-to-Work campaign is organised by Activists for Change, a pressure group, which is non-partisan protesting against high fuel and commodity prices. Mr Otunnu emphasised yesterday that the move to transfer them was meant to isolate them from their relatives.

President Museveni, however, has declared that the opposition leaders’ campaign is treasonous. Lawyers and human rights activists have condemned the arrests and detention of the jailed political leaders, calling the government action unconstitutional.

The lawyers argue that there is no law in Uganda that prohibits people from walking and that the politicians are being detained illegally. The opposition yesterday said they had not shut down talks with President Museveni over the current economic condition. They said they were ready for dialogue, if it is substatntive, with the President to propose a way forward. Failure to do that, they promised, will lead to more demonstrations.

Mr Otunnu also announced that they are organising a public rally to address issues of police brutality against unarmed civilians and the current economic situation that has left many people lacking basic commodities.

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