At least 42 young people were charged by a Ugandan magistrate’s court on Tuesday for offenses allegedly committed during an outlawed anti-corruption demonstration.
The protestors, who held signs denouncing government corruption, marched through several streets in Kampala, the capital, shouting slogans.
Bernard Oundo, president of the Uganda Law Society, led a group of attorneys defending the suspects. He reported on Wednesday that the 42 demonstrators were charged and detained after appearing at a Kampala magistrate’s court late on Tuesday.
The charge sheet presented in court detailed offenses including being “idle and disorderly” and a “common nuisance.” The accused entered not guilty pleas and were ordered to appear in court on various dates between July 30 and August 6.
Human Rights Watch, a New York-based organization, stated that the arrests were evidence of President Yoweri Museveni’s government’s “lack of respect for people’s right to protest and express themselves.”
Rights activists and opposition leaders claim that government fund embezzlement and misuse are pervasive in Uganda. They have long maintained that Museveni is not prosecuting dishonest senior officials who are connected to him or who show political loyalty.
