two ugandan human rights defenders released

By BTM Reporter

UGANDA – 19 September 2008: George Oundo and Kiiza Brendah have been released from Nabweru Police Station today where they were accused and apprehended for ‘recruiting people into homosexuality’.

The two lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) rights activists were arrested at Oundo’s home last week, and were deprived the right to appear in court within 48 hours as stipulated in that country’s constitution.

Both transgenders, the activists’ health showed deterioration caused by ill-treatment at the hands of police after eights days of detention, according to a statement released by Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG).

“It is not known if any charge has been brought against the two, as during their detention, neither human rights defender appeared before a court in accordance with the 48-hour constitutional limit on detention”, explained Victor Mukasa of International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC).

It was learnt that the Ugandan authorities are in possession of a list of members of the LGBTI community in Uganda, of which at least nineteen of those named are LGBTI human rights defenders, and which includes the aforementioned individuals, according to a statement submitted by Mukasa.

Front Line, which is an LGBTI rights organisation in Uganda, believes that the two activists were being targeted as a result of their legitimate work in defence of human rights, in particular, their work to promote and protect the rights of the LGBTI people.

SMUG, together with Front Line, sturdily condemns such arrests and torture. According to SMUG, the two transgenders were tortured so that to eventually come up with information to out other individuals.

“We will not be silenced by this intimidation, and [we] strongly condemn these inhumane acts against LGBTI people of Uganda. We call upon the Civil Society and Human Rights organisations to urge the government of Uganda to stop these inhumane acts”, concluded the SMUG’s statement.