The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Thursday urged Ugandan authorities to release journalists Dickson Mubiru and Alirabaki Sengooba and to drop the charges against them. This appeal follows the journalists’ arrest for publishing information without a broadcast license. The CPJ views the convictions as an attempt to silence critical reporting.
Mubiru, managing editor of the news website theGrapeVine, and Sengooba, a reporter for the same outlet, were charged on June 20 by the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court in Kampala. Their lawyer, Nasser Kibazo, indicated the charges relate to two news stories: a dispute between lawyer Steven Kalali and High Court Judge Alexandra Nkonge Rugadya and another implicating the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) in parliamentary corruption scandals. Both journalists pleaded not guilty and were remanded to Luzira Prison until their next court date.
The journalists were arrested on June 18 after responding to the police summons. They were questioned about their sources for reports published on May 15 and June 13. The judiciary had previously dismissed the May 15 report as false, yet the spokespersons for the judiciary and the parliament declined to comment on the reversal of that decision.
On June 21, the court charged them again for the June 13 report by Sengooba on parliamentary corruption. This charge was transferred to another chamber, with the trial set for July 4. According to state attorney Ivan Kyazze, the charges are based on publishing information without a valid broadcasting license from the Uganda Communications Commission. Under Uganda’s 2013 communications law, publishing without a license can lead to up to one year in prison and/or a fine of 500,000 shillings (US $135). Kibazo highlighted the unusual application of this law to online publications, which are typically meant for television and radio broadcasts.
CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo criticized the charges, stating they were meant to retaliate against the journalists for their critical reporting. She called for their unconditional release and a review of laws restricting the freedom of the press. The Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-U) condemned the arrest and charges against the journalists, emphasizing the need to protect freedom of expression. “We urge the court to expedite the process, ensuring that the duo receives swift justice and can resume their important work without further harassment,” stated HRNJ-U Executive Director Robert Ssempala. The Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) also protested the detention of Mubiru and Sengooba.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says that journalists in Uganda deal with intimidation and violence almost daily, being targeted by the country’s security services. Journalists who criticize Ugandan authorities and the human rights record of the country often face violence, abduction, arrest and confiscation of equipment.
CPJ and other press freedom advocates continue to monitor the case closely, advocating for the protection of journalistic rights in Uganda and freedom of the press reform.
