NAPE Demands Unconditional Release of Anti-EACOP Activist Arrested for Holding Peaceful Demonstration.
The Ugandan Police Force has arrested eight activists marching to the Chinese Embassy in Kampala to deliver a protest letter against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) funding.
National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) said it was
concerned that instead of being engaged meaningfully, they members were
arrested.
Executive Director of NAPE, Frank Muramuzi, said this kind of humiliation and inhuman treatment is not only a human rights abuse, but also has no place in the modern world and should be condemned at all costs.
He said: “Use of excessive force to arrest peaceful and unarmed civilians is a big shame to a civilian force like police and violates the Ugandan
constitution. NAPE strongly warns and calls upon the police to stop this harassment and intimidation of environmental activists and calls for unconditional release. NAPE maintains that detaining environmentalists for protesting is unlawful and culprits should be punished.”
Muramuzi added: “In any case, this EACOP and other oil development projects are public
investments that should be kept under scrutiny by the citizens. If these investments are to come at a cost of denying citizens their rights, then they need to be fought at any cost.
“OilWatch Africa supports the call release of the detained activists and frowns at the harassment of citizens fighting for the rights of Africans
to a safe environment as enshrined in Article 24 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
Ends.