Injured journalist Ashraf Kasirye allowed to file additional allegations against gov’t

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  The High Court in Kampala has allowed Ghetto TV Journalist Ashraf Kasirye to file new allegations related to human rights violations against the government.

This arises from a case filed by Kasirye on December 3, 2020 challenging the decision by the police to forcefully remove him on a vehicle  before assaulting and pepper spraying  him when he was executing his journalistic duties during the election campaigns.

Kasirye says this was on November 18, 2020 in Luuka District when National Unity Platform Presidential Candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu was looking for support ahead of the January 14, 2021 polls which he eventually lost to the incumbent Yoweri Museveni.  

As such, Kasirye through his lawyers of Nabaasa and Akineza Advocates asked court to be compensated for his damaged property that included his gadgets as his Constitutional rights and freedoms were allegedly being violated.

He also asked court to issue a permanent injunction restraining the Uganda Police Force from infringement of his right to property, freedom of press, right to practice a profession and the right against torture, inhuman and degrading treatment.

But today while appearing before the Civil Division Judge Esta Nambayo when the case came up for hearing, Kasirye’s lawyers led by Augustine Akineza told court that their client was again badly assaulted shortly after he had filed this case.

Court heard that Kasirye was tortured and injured on the head on December 27 2020 as NUP Principal Kyagulanyi Ssentamu was heading to Lwengo District for his campaigns as well.

The lawyers who told journalists that Kasirye was admitted at Lubaga Hospital for a number of days where he spent over 50 million shillings on medication said that their client has since partly lost his vision and he cannot hear properly in a noisy environment.

But Since the Attorney General had not turned up in court and neither were his representatives, Lady Justice Nambayo allowed the lawyers to amend their petition to include in the latest attack on Kasirye.

Nambayo has given them one week to do the amendment such that they can again serve the Attorney General and return to court on March 25th 2021 for mention.

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