By Frank Kamuntu
Senior Commanders at the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) in Mbuya have succumbed to pressure from human rights lawyers Eron Kiiza and Anthony Odur, and released 35 Rwandan nationals from Safe Houses, before transferring them to various police stations around the country, TheSpy Uganda exclusively reports.
Spy Uganda has learnt that a few days back lawyers Kiiza and Odur of Mugisha and Co. Advocates, had been denied access to over 100 Rwandan nationals in detention by CMI, who they said were reportedly being tortured.
The lawyers revealed to Spy Uganda on Thursday October 24, 2019 that after exerting pressure on the military officers and CMI operatives, 35 Rwandans were transferred from CMI dungeons to various police stations in Ntungamo, Mbarara, Kakumiro, Mubende and Kanungu Districts.
“Over 100 Rwandans have been detained in military prisons for more than two years over allegations of illegal entry and stay in Uganda. However, they are never brought to court to answer their charges. They are instead kept in CMI dungeons, denied access to their families and lawyers. However,we are glad to announce that God finally answered our prayers and 35 Rwandans were produced by CMI after the pressure we put on them,” the lawyer revealed on Thursday.
They added thus;”They have been scattered to police stations in different districts, which is making it difficult for us their lawyers and their relatives to track them. But we’re doing everything possible to link up with them wherever they are detained.”
Some of the 35 Rwandans who have been transferred to different police stations include;
- Mufasha Rogers
- Habimana Vincent
- Sebukaire Muhammed; all these have been taken to Mbarara police station while;
- Rukundo Emmanuel
- Niyonshuti Jimmy
- Mutware Jean D’amour, are detained at Ntungamo police and others including
- Kagenze Eric
- Tumusiime James
- Sejusa Alex, are detained in Kanungu.
The lawyers revealed that the others were transferred to other districts including 3 in Kisoro, 1 in Mubende, 1 in Mityana and 4 Kakumiro.
Odur said that “What we want is CMI to allow police do their job. If these people have crimes to answer, let police present them in court, instead of being detained illegally and tortured by CMI.”
He added that; “Although these 35 were transferred by CMI to police, there are over 100 other Rwandan nationals still CMI Safe Houses and other military detention centres. We demand their immediate and unconditional release, because they are being illegally detained. Our clients should be immediately released unconditionally because they were illegally arrested and no evidence has been provided against them.”
The lawyers added that they will continue providing legal services to the detainees, although it’s now bound to be tricky since they are detained at different police stations in various districts.
They added that they have since co-ordinated with their fellow lawyers in those districts who have interacted witht he detainees and learnt that they were being compelled to confess to charges of illegal entry into Uganda.
The lawyers said that they are now left with no choice but to apply for habeas corpus order such that court can force CMI to produce all the other Rwandans languishing in their various detentions.
