By Charlotte Kagumaho,
KAMPALA
Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) Commissioner General, Cannon Dr. Johnson Byabashaija has been sanctioned by the US government for alleged gross human rights abuses in Uganda.
US alleges that since 2005, members of the UPS government officials (ex-serving and current) majority of them legislators were involved in the torture of government critics and marginalized groups such a as journalists, LBTQ, human rights activists and defenders, and inmates.
“During that period, members of the UPS have engaged in torture and other serious human rights abuse against prisoners held within UPS facilities. Prisoners have reported being tortured and beaten by UPS staff and by fellow prisoners at the direction of UPS staff. Members of vulnerable groups, including government critics and members of Uganda’s LGBTQ, community, have been beaten and held without access to legal counsel; for example, in a 2020 case, the UPS denied a group of LGBTQI+ persons access to their lawyers and members of the group reportedly endured physical abuse, including a forced anal examination and scalding,” read a statement in parts.
More than 20 people from the same office in nine other countries have also been sanctioned on similar allegations.
By press time, UPS had not responded to the sanctions.
