Uganda Human Rights Commission-UHRC has started hearing a case against UPDF and military police officers accused of torturing a journalist in Bushyenyi despite the absence of the attorney general. In 2007, Chris Mugasha Ahimbisibwe, a journalist with New Vision petitioned the UHRC accusing UPDF and Military police officers of torturing him during the bail application hearing of three People’s Redemption Army, rebel suspects at Mbarara High Court.
The suspects are the late Musasizi Kifefe, a brother to Kiiza Besigye, Frank Atukunda and Robert Darious Tweyambe. They were accused of treason and murdering John Byarugaba, a resident of Kyamuhunga during the Allied Democratic Forces insurgency in Imaramagambo forest. Ahimbisibwe contends that while covering the court proceedings UPDF and Military police officers deployed around at the court beat him up and confiscated his equipment.
He alleges that after torturing him, his tormentors bundled him on a military pick up and dumped him at Bushenyi Police post where he was detained. He wants UHRC to compel the army and military police to compensate him for the torture occasioned on him by its operatives during the course of his duty. Last week, UHRC asked the attorney general to respondent to the accusations in vain.
This morning, Mariam Wangadya, a commissioner of UHRC told a fully packed court in Mbarara that the commission would go ahead and hear the case without the attorney general. She said, UHRC had given the attorney general’s chambers ample time to file a defense. The attorney general has not yet commented on the case as he could not be reached by our reporter.
