Amnesty International Calls For Release Of All July 23rd Anti Corruption Protesters

In response to the arrest and detention of more than a hundred youthful protesters during anti-corruption demonstrations in Uganda on Tuesday, Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, voiced strong condemnation. This latest crackdown follows closely on the heels of violent suppression of anti-government protests in Kenya.

“The heavy-handed tactics used by the Ugandan government to stifle and silence peaceful protesters show a manifest clampdown on dissent. People in Uganda have the right to express critical views against official corruption in government and human rights violations by the state, and the expression of such views should not result in imprisonment,” said Chagutah.

He called for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arrested solely for exercising their right to peaceful assembly and urged the government to address the protesters’ demands. “Instead of silencing people for expressing their discontent and continuing to use unlawful force to stop peaceful protests, state authorities must deal with corruption among elected officials and respect, protect, and fulfill all their human rights obligations,” Chagutah emphasized.

Instead of silencing people for expressing their discontent and continuing to use unlawful force to stop peaceful protests, state authorities must address the demands of the people who are calling on them to deal with corruption,” Amnesty International USA says in a statement on X

Tuesday’s anti-corruption protests in Kampala and other towns in Uganda were fueled by mounting allegations of widespread corruption in government, particularly involving members of parliament, including the Speaker. President Yoweri Museveni warned on Sunday that protests would not be tolerated. On Monday, police besieged opposition party headquarters ahead of the planned protests, and on Tuesday, they arrested more than a hundred protesters in what they termed a precautionary move. These protests mirror those organized by youth activists in neighboring Kenya, where the president was forced to withdraw controversial tax proposals and dissolve his cabinet.