ActionAid International Uganda has condemned the arrest of Human Rights Lawyer, Nicholas Opiyo.
Nicholas, who is also chairman of the board of ActionAid International Uganda, was arrested on Tuesday by plain cloth security operatives in Kamwokya, a Kampala Suburb.
“ActionAid International Uganda received with shock and dismay the news of the unlawful and brutal arrest of Mr. Nicholas Opiyo, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of ActionAid International Uganda and renown Human Rights Lawyer this afternoon, Tuesday 22nd December 2020 in Kampala, Uganda’s capital,” the organisation says in a statement issued by the Board of Directors.
It adds, “His arrest fits a pattern of increasing crackdown on dissent and attack on civil society in the country by agents of Uganda’s state security establishment as the country nears its next general election scheduled to take place next month on 14th January 2021. We are particularly dismayed by the timing of this arrest that comes at a time when Nicholas was leading Civil Society efforts to challenge cascaded attacks by state agencies against civil society organizations and initiatives, including the recent freezing of NGO accounts by the Financial Intelligence Authority.”
According to the police, Opiyo is being held on money laundering charges.
“We would like to confirm the arrest of Lawyer Nicholas Opio, by a Joint Task team of Security and Financial Intelligence, on allegations of money laundering and related malicious acts. The investigations are progressing well and any new developments will be communicated in due course. He remains in our custody at the Special Investigations Division,” a police statement says.
However, ActionAid International Uganda, is calling for his immediate release saying, “security forces and the government of Uganda of its obligation to respect and protect human rights of citizens and the rule of Law in Uganda.”
The statement adds, “We express our solidarity with his family and all civil society leaders in the country and pledge to do all in our means to ensure he and those he was arrested with achieve justice.”
