The High court in Lira has issued an order to the top four commanders of security forces and agencies to produce a missing journalist within 24 hours.

Justice Steven Musota who issued a habeas corpus and issued a 24 hour deadline said that the four top commanders should appear in court with Augustine Okello and show the cause why they continue to detain a journalist illegally.

Augustine Okello alias Rouks disappeared on July 13th in Lira, northern Uganda after holding meetings with security chiefs in the area including Lira’s District Internal Security Officer (DISO), Steven Eryaku. Eryaku according to sources allegedly phoned Okello and they met later at Grand Pacific hotel in Lira town.

It is now two weeks since Okello went missing and has been detain incommunicado in places yet to be identified.

Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) say they have information from reliable sources that Okello was kidnapped by three armed plain-clothed security operatives from Grand Pacific hotel in Lira after the DISO requested to wait for him at the hotel.

Sources add that Rouks was later transferred from Lira to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) headquarters in Kampala until Saturday July 16, 2011 when he was again transferred to the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) headquarters in Kireka, Kampala where he is alleged to have recorded a statement. He was on same day transferred to unknown detention center according to the sources.

HRNJ-Uganda has learnt that Okello was allegedly arrested on grounds that he received a telephone which invited him as a journalist to attend a meeting in Tanzania.

The habeas corpus filed on 25th/July/2011 by Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda lawyer Makmot Kibwanga sued the Inspector General of Police, Chief of Defense Forces, Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence and Internal Security Organ commanders for arbitrarily arrest and detention of a journalist.

“We have secured a court order and we have served the four top security commanders so we expect them to produce Okello in court within 24 hours”. Said the defense lawyer, Makmot Kibwanga. He said HRNJ-Uganda has received instructions from high court in Lira for Okello to be produced in Kampala high court.

HRNJ-Uganda calls the international community and missions in Uganda to rally behind the court order and put pressure on security forces to ensure that Okello is produced in court and the same cases do not come up again.