NUP Renews Call For The Release Of It’s Detained Supporters

Posted by: Kyeyune Andrew Jonathan in Uganda news June 26, 2023

Uganda’s biggest opposition party, National Unity Platform (NUP) has once again renewed calls for the release of over 20 of their missing supporters.

These disappeared during the campaigns and general elections back in 2021 and have not been seen up to date.

Joseph Kabuleeta, the president of National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) party petitioned the High Court in Kampala to release 32 prisoners in January. He cited illegal detention at Kitalya and based his petition on those grounds.

The NUP secretary-general, David Lewis Rubongoya says they have since petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC). This is after human rights agencies in Uganda frustrated them.

“Nothing is coming out to show us where these people went to and their crime was simply supporting our president Kyagulanyi and the NUP. Of course, the abductions continue, we have seen several weeks our people were taken away and returned with horrific stories of torture,” Rubongoya said.

The remarks come as Uganda joins the rest of the world to commemorate the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture today. The day is being observed under the theme, “Stop torture, rebuild lives of survivors for sustainable development”.

Furthermore, Rubingoya says that laws like the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture 2012 have not been well implemented.

Apparently, such laws give effect to the obligations to Uganda as a State Party to the UN’s Convention. This is against Torture and other Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

This is, however, not the first time NUP is renewing calls for the release of its supporters. Back in January 2022, the party requested security agencies to release its supporters.

Many of the supporters then, faced charges of possession of red berets that had been gazetted as military stores. The NUP president said the government only used this move to weaken their fight against President Museveni’s government.

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