Uganda: Human rights defender Barigye Bob arrested ahead of public debate over impact of East African Oil Crude Pipeline
"Arbitrary detention of human rights defender Barigye Bob" 24 January 2023
On 24 January 2023, human rights defender Barigye Bob was arrested and detained at Wandegeya Police Station. The human rights defender was organizing a debate on the environmental, human rights and economic impact of the East African Oil Crude Pipeline (EACOP) when the police blocked the venue of the public debate and arrested him.
Barigye Bob is a human rights defender and member of the African Initiative on Food Security and Environment. [...] On 24 January 2023, human rights defender Barigye Bob was organizing a public debate with the African Initiative on Food Security and Environment (AIFE) on the environmental, human rights and economic impact of the East African Oil Crude Pipeline (EACOP). The event, set to happen in a local hotel, was disrupted by the police before it even started. They blocked the venue entrance to stop participants from entering and arrested Barigye Bob. He is currently being detained at the Wandegeya Police Station where he has been held since 9 am of 24 January 2023. The human rights defender’s lawyers were first denied access to him but were later allowed to see him. His legal representative reported that the human rights defender was injured during his arrest and transport to the police station. He has a bruised leg and a swollen arm and is in need of immediate medical attention. [...]