Bradley Sherman condemns raid on Bobi Wine's hotel room in Jinja

The international community has condemned police raid on a Jinja hotel that was hosting Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, in ahead of a music concert on Saturday night.

US Congressman Bradley Sherman said the Ugandan government must commit to essential principles of freedom of speech.

He said stifling freedom of speech and expression and arbitrary arrests have no place in a democracy.

“Earlier this year, I met with Bobi Wine after he was brutally beaten and detained by Ugandan security forces for speaking out against corruption,” Mr Sherman said in a tweet Sunday morning.

"Today they have reportedly surrounded him and his team. The Ugandan government must commit to the essential principle of freedom of speech."

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark also urged Uganda to allow opposition space.

“Disturbing reports from Uganda where Opposition MP Bobi Wine is again in hiding following police violently arresting members of his concert crew,"

she tweeted.

"Bobi was badly hurt in an earlier violent arrest and detention. Government must allow opposition space.”

HOLIDAY CONCERTS

As part of his festive season programme, Mr Kyagulanyi had planned to hold music concerts in Jinja, Mityana and Gulu districts and other places.

But soon, there were unconfirmed reports that the shows had been cancelled, a claim that attracted the attention of MPs.

Police on December 6 said they had asked Mr Kyagulanyi to follow the right procedures as he organises for the concerts, short of which he would not be allowed to hold the shows.

Police spokesperson Emilian Kayima said officers held a meeting with the popstar turned politician and informed him he had not provide enough supporting documents, including agreements with owners of places where he intended to hold his concerts.

“He did not give us a plan of how he will handle the revellers. It is not enough to say you are going to have a concert or gathering without indicating the venue and plan for people you expect will attend, ” Mr Kayima told journalists.

Mr Kyagulanyi lawyer Robert Amsterdam in a statement issued last night, said: “This is a clear and brazen act of targeted political repression by the Uganda authorities aimed at violating Bobi Wine’s human rights,” said Amsterdam.

SHOW PERMIT

“Once again, Bobi Wine has broken no law, the concert was fully and legally permitted, and the other participating musicians were not targeted.”

Amsterdam added that the latest attempt to arrest Mr Kyagulanyi for no reason is clearly reminiscent of the events of this past August 14, when the Kyadondo East MP and many others were brutally arrested, jailed, and subjected to extensive torture by agents of the Special Forces Command.

“The use of violence and intimidation by the government of Uganda against peaceful, law-abiding citizens is carried out with the clear intention of repressing their rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression,” he said.

He further noted that they are going to be rigorously documenting every unlawful act and violation of rights by members of the police and their superiors and will seek to hold them accountable before every available international forum.

“The highest authorities have an urgent responsibility to halt this deplorable persecution without delay,” Mr Amsterdam said.

Efforts to get a comment from officials failed by the time of publishing this story as our repeated calls to their known telephone numbers went unanswered.