Dr. George Ounda

Front Line is deeply concerned following reports that human rights defenders George Oundo and Kiiza Brendah were arbitrarily detained from 10 to 18 September 2008 and that Pepe Juliana Onziema, David Kato, Victor Julie Mukasa and Kasha Jacqueline have been subjected to intimidation by police and the authorities in Uganda.

Further Information

George Oundo and Kiiza Brendah work to promote and protect the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Uganda. Frank Mugisha, Pepe Juliana Onziema, and David Kato, Victor Julie Mukasa and Kasha Jacqueline are all active members of the organisation Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), Victor Julie Mukasa is also Research and Policy Associate at the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and Kasha Jacqueline is a member of Freedom and Roam Uganda (FARUG). All these organisations advocate for the rights of the LGBT community.

On 10 September 2008, police came to the home of George Oundo and arrested him along with Kiiza Brendah. The police also removed gay literature from the residence before taking the two human rights defenders to Nalukologolo Police Station where they spent the night. The following day, they were transferred to Nabweru Police Station where they were detained and interrogated about LGBT human rights defenders, their activities and organisations. The two human rights defenders were released on the morning of 18 September after seven days in detention and ordered to present themselves at the police station again on 24 September. It is not known if any charge has been brought against the two, as during their detention, neither human rights defender appeared before a court in accordance with the 48-hour constitutional limit on detention.

Reports indicate that the Ugandan authorities are also in possession of a list of members of the LGBT community, of which at least nineteen of those named are LGBT human rights defenders and which includes the aforementioned individuals. The list is currently being disseminated in local banks and the authorities are searching for these human rights defenders.

Front Line believes that the aforementioned LGBT human rights defenders have been targeted as a result of their legitimate work in defence of human rights, in particular their work to promote and protect the rights of the LGBT community in Uganda. Front Line views the harassment and intimidation of the LGBT community in Uganda as deeply worrying and expresses its serious concern for the physical and psychological integrity of George Ounda and Kiiza Brendah, as well as that of all LGBT human rights defenders working to promote and protect the rights of their community in Uganda.