42 young Ugandans charged over anti-corruption demonstration
Ugandan police officers detain protestors during a rally against what the protesters say are rampant corruption and human rights abuses by the country's rulers in Kampala, Uganda July 23, 2024. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa
No fewer than 42 youths have been charged and remanded in custody by a magistrate court in Uganda for offences allegedly committed during a banned anti-corruption protest on Tuesday.
Protesters took to the streets in the capital, Kampala, on Tuesday, shouting slogans and holding placards denouncing corruption by lawmakers.
According to Bernard Oundo, President of the Uganda Law Society, who led a team of lawyers representing the protesters, at least 42 demonstrators were arraigned in a Kampala magistrate’s court on Tuesday evening and subsequently charged and remanded into custody.
The protesters faced various charges, including being “idle and disorderly” and creating a “common nuisance,” as stated in the court documents.
They entered not guilty pleas and were scheduled to reappear in court on separate dates between July 30 and August 6.
Human Rights Watch, a New York-based advocacy group, condemned the arrests, citing them as evidence of President Yoweri Museveni’s government disregard for citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and free expression.
Critics, including opposition leaders and human rights activists, allege that embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds are rampant under the administration of President Yoweri Museveni in Uganda.
President Museveni has consistently denied tolerating corruption, maintaining that when sufficient evidence exists, individuals implicated in corrupt activities, including lawmakers and government ministers, are held accountable and prosecuted.
