UHRC demands release of naked protesters

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UHRC demands release of naked protesters
Anti-corruption protesters have peeled off layers from own clothing today | Courtesy

Ms Wangadya also criticised the legal framework under which the protesters were charged, describing it as "absurd and redundant."

The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has condemned the arrest, prosecution, and treatment of three protesters who staged a naked march to Parliament to protest against corruption.

The Commission accuses the government of violating the protesters' fundamental rights and is calling for their immediate release.

The three women were arrested while marching naked to Parliament, holding placards demanding the resignation of the Speaker over corruption allegations.

The protestors, Norah Kobusingye, Praise Aloikin Opoloje, and Kemitoma Kyenzibo, were demonstrating against Speaker Anita Among, demanding her resignation.

Appearing before Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayiizi, the trio was charged with being a common nuisance, as per Section 148(1) of the Penal Code Act.

They denied the charges but were remanded until September 12 after failing to provide substantial sureties for bail.

Ms Mariam Wangadya, chairperson of the UHRC, criticised the arrests and the police’s handling of the protesters.

"Parliament is a place where all leaders sit," she said. "The protesters had every right to walk to Parliament to demand to be heard. They posed no harm or threat to the public. The police should have simply accompanied them to Parliament to have an audience with the Speaker."

Ms Wangadya cited Article 29 of the Ugandan Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of association, assembly, expression, and peaceful demonstration.

She argued that the naked protest was a form of peaceful expression and did not warrant criminal charges.

“These girls are already like serving a sentence," Wangadya stated. "They have been charged with a victimless crime and incarcerated.

"They were remanded until the 12th, not to rule on bail, but just to hear it. Prisons are full. This is a punishment for a non-existent crime. That’s why I am calling upon the DPP to release them."

The protesters face charges of being public nuisances, a move the UHRC has branded "preposterous," accusing the government of using such charges to harass, intimidate, and unduly limit their fundamental liberties.

Ms Wangadya also criticised the legal framework under which the protesters were charged, describing it as "absurd and redundant."

"Any legal provision that creates a victimless crime is utterly ridiculous, redundant, and absurd and must be repealed," she asserted.

The UHRC’s condemnation highlights concerns over the government's heavy-handed approach to peaceful protests and calls for an end to what it terms "unjustified persecution of citizens exercising their constitutional rights."

The Commission’s statement comes amid growing public debate over the freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest in Uganda.

The demand for the immediate release of the protesters is a direct challenge to the government's handling of dissent and its commitment to upholding human rights.

The Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has yet to respond to the UHRC's call to drop the charges and release the protesters.

Critics argue that the authorities’ handling of the situation, including the arrest and decision to charge the women with a vague offense, reflects a disproportionate response and an infringement on rights guaranteed under Uganda's Constitution.

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