[theafricareport]
The Forum for Democratic Change this week accused the police of gross human rights violations and abuse of power, saying its leaders were also being their freedom to movement.
the driver of the taxi he was traveling in was arrested
“We have plans to resume efforts of pursing the regional and international courts to stop the continued human rights violations by the government,” FDC official, Peter Asiimwe said.
Chief among their complaints, Asiimwe said, was the country’s police’s incessant harassment and arrest of their former leader, Kiiza Besigye, preventing him from moving freely in the country.
In the last week alone, Besigye was arrested twice, first while he tried to board a taxi with the second arrest coming while he walked from his house.
The leader of opposition in parliament, Nathan Nandala Mafabi condemned the continued action of the police, saying it violated Besigye’s rights.
“Dr Besigye’s freedom of movement has on several occasions been abused by the police to the extent that the driver of the taxi he was traveling in was arrested,” Mafabi said.
Condemning the use of colonial laws that provide for preventive arrest, Mafabi said the opposition has exhausted all other avenues to address the demeaning acts by government agencies.
The group says it is now resorting to the East African Court, the African People’s Court and the International Criminal Court for redress.
Mafabi has called on the public and the international community to condemn the human rights violations, tasking the government to explain the continued violation of Besigye’s freedoms.
But the Minister of State for Security, Muluri Mukasa said Besigye and some of his supporters sometimes caused chaos in the city and the arrests were meant to prevent hooligans from joining them and going on the rampage and looting property.