A photo of 8 land rights defenders from right Ramu, Ndahimana, Amos Wafula, Martin Haweka, Martin Munyansia, Eliot Talemwa, Samuel Kusiima, George Rwakabisha and Fred Mwawula, at court.
By witnessradio.org Team.
Kiryandongo – Uganda – the criminal trial of 8 land defenders in Kiryandongo has failed to take off for the fourth time following the transfer of the trial magistrate.
On 20th December 2020, the Judiciary reshuffled its officers, and Kiryandongo Grade 1 magistrate Augustine Alule was transferred and replaced with His Worship Derrick Byamugisha.
According to the reshuffle notice, the new magistrate Byamugisha who was scheduled to report to his duty station immediately, the trial day got him handing over to his successor, which caused the fourth adjournment.
Fred Mwawula, Ramu Ndahimana, Samuel Kusiima, Martin Munyansia, Martin Haweka, Amos Wafula, Eliot Talemwa, and George Rwakabisha are accused of threatening violence, a charge which carries a punishment of four (4) years on conviction.
The prosecution alleges that on September 4th, 2020 the eight and others at large while at Kisalanda, threatened to harm a police officer and workers of Great Season SMC limited.
However, on October 16, 2020, the prosecution informed the court that investigations were done and the prosecutor’s chambers were ready to proceed with the trial.
Before the illegal arrest and detention and prosecution of the 8 defenders, NGOs including Witness Radio – Uganda, GRAIN, and Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa released a Kiryandongo report “land grabs at gun point”, which exposed gross human rights violations and abuses committed by security agencies and 3 multinationals against communities. The motive for persecution is regarded as retaliation from district security agencies and multinational companies pinned in the report.
The defenders believe that the charges brought against them are linked to their human rights work of mobilizing and empowering communities to legally resist the forceful and violent evictions.
The next trial is scheduled for 24th February 2021.
