By witnessradio.org Team
Kiryandongo – Uganda – the searching exercise has yielded results…! After days of searching for the abducted land rights defender in Kiryandongo by the three armed soldiers guarding Kiryandongo Sugar Limited, Atyaluk David Richard has been found being detained at Kiryandongo central police station.
Atyaluk, a chair leader of the affected community by different projects by multinational companies, was abducted from his home on Friday, the12th, March 2021 at 8:00 am local time.
Upon learning about his (Atyaluk) disappearance, Witness Radio – Uganda, friends and relatives mounted a search exercise looking for Atyaluk, and today, the 14th, March 2021, he has been found and his lawyers and relatives were granted access to him.
According to Witness Radio – Uganda lawyers, Atyaluk upon being abducted was taken to a military detach located at Kamusenene village where he was tortured and flogged by soldiers.
“He looked weak and he was complaining of different body pain”. Said, Joan Bulyerali, one of Witness Radio – Uganda attorneys.
She revealed that Witness Radio – Uganda is pushing Atyaluk’s unconditional release.
The cause of Atyaluk’s detention is linked to a fire that destroyed acres of sugarcane plantation owned by Kiryandongo Sugar Limited. The available information indicates that the fire whose source is still unknown gutted the plantation on Thursday, the 11th, 2021 from 2:00 PM local time until late in the night.
The Kiryandongo District Police Commander confirms that Atyaluk is being detained at the Kiryandongo Central Police station.
“Yes we have him in our custody, but investigations are going on. What I can confirm is that a large chunk of Kiryandongo Sugar Limited’s sugarcane plantation was destroyed,” he added.
Witness Radio – Uganda confirms that is very innocent but he’s being persecuted for his human rights work that defends the rights of communities that lost their land to multinationals and currently trapped in the middle of different plantations. The multinationals include Kiryandongo Sugar Limited; Great Seasons SMC Limited, and Agilis Partners Limited.
The Witness Radio – Uganda demands Atyaluk’s unconditional release.
