Torture on the increase in Uganda

Speaking at a press conference to announce the international day of torture victims slated for Sunday this week, the acting chairperson UHRC, Agaba Maguru said that torture acts mainly by security organs are on a rise due to lack of such laws that bar law enforcers from committing such illegal acts against humanity.

UHRC also recommended for a special fund to be set up to help in the compensating torture victims as well as rehabilitating them.

He noted that if this bill is passed into law then offenders will be accountable for their crimes personally.

Ultimate Media

The post Uganda Human Rights activists push for passing of Anti torture bill first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Margaret Sekaggya

The draft of the prohibition and prevention of torture bill was presented before parliament 2009 seeking to criminalize torture but it was not passed into law.

Though the recent report by KIOS development consultant showed decline in the torture cases in the country in the last five years excluding the current events if this year’s post election demonstrations and walk to work in protest against the increased prices of fuel and essential commodities.

Sekaggya has the fore argued the government that there is argent need to pass the Anti-torture bill to provide an enabling law against the vice.

She says the bill will also help facilitation, rehabilitation, and compensation of torture victims.

According to the available statistics from the African centre for treatment and rehabilitation of torture victims there are 1000 people that were affected by torture in the year 2010 alone.

The post UN asks Uganda government to pass the 2009 Anti-torture bill first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The executive director of African Centre for Treatment and rehabilitation of torture victims Samuel Herbert Nsubuga says calls to have the bill passed into an act have not yielded much yet torture continues.

Torture on the increase in Uganda

Nsubuga says a draft of the prohibition and prevention of the torture bill as presented before Parliament in 2009 but not much has been done yet.

He now challenged the 9^th Parliament to take on the process of passing the bill if the victims of torture are to be accorded justice.

A new report by KIOS Development Consultants launched yesterday, shows a decline in torture cases in the country in the last 5 years excluding the events of this year.

The highest form of torture recorded was the systematic beating of victims.

By Isaac Senabulya

The post Human Rights activists call for passing of Anti Torture Bill first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.