International Human Rights organization Amnesty International has called on the Ugandan government to drop what they referred to as absurd charges against Makerere University researcher Dr. Stella Nyanzi.
“Ugandan authorities must immediately drop charges against radical academic Stella Nyanzi and put a stop to the charade that has seen her spend weeks in jail, Amnesty International said in a Wednesday statement.
Dr. Nyanzi is facing charges of cyber harassment and offensive communication contrary to the Computer Misuse Act.
She appeared in court for mention of her case on Wednesday and was remanded to prison until January 10th.
But Amnesty International insists the charges preferred against the researcher are in direct contravention of Uganda’s constitution and its international human rights obligations to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the right to freedom of expression.
“Stella Nyanzi has been repeatedly harassed, arrested and detained, simply for daring to speak out against the government. These latest charges relating to Facebook posts in which she criticized President Yoweri Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni, are yet another callous attempt to silence her,” said Roland Ebole, Amnesty International’s Uganda researcher.
“We are calling on the Ugandan authorities to drop these absurd charges and ensure that she is able to enjoy her human rights without any fear of intimidation or arrest.”
The organization further asked that government scraps the Computer Misuse Act of 2011, an Act they said is repressive and has been used to systematically harass, intimidate and stifle government online critics.
Dr. Nyanzi was arrested on Friday November 2nd at a police station where she had gone to notify officers of a protest she was planning to hold at the university.
This is the second time she has been charged with insulting the president and violating his right to privacy.
