Rights Activists Call for Release of Detained Ugandan Journalists

Ugandan lawyers and rights activists are demanding the release of an author and eight journalists detained for over a week. On March 10, 2022 nine journalists led by Norman Tumuhimbise, author of books critical of President Yoweri Museveni and his family, were arrested at their offices by what lawyers describe as a joint security team of the Uganda Police Force and soldiers of the Uganda People's Defence Force. Documents presented to court state that armed security personnel stormed into the offices and made the arrests.

All nine of those arrested work for Digitalk, an online TV station led by Tumuhimbise. Tumuhimbise was due to launch a book critical of President Yoweri Museveni on March 30, 2022. His lawyer, Geoffrey Turyamusima said the arrests show that the government does not respect the public's right to free speech.

The arrest of Tumuhimbise and eight journalists comes just a month after PEN International award-winning author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was arrested and allegedly tortured while in detention. He was charged with offensive communication for Twitter posts in which he made derogatory remarks about the president's son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is widely seen as Museveni's possible successor. The writer reportedly fled in exile to Germany.