KAMPALA — The Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) has protested the continued detention of journalist Remy Asiteza, demanding his immediate release and accusing security agencies of holding him beyond the constitutional 48-hour limit.
In a statement issued Wednesday, UJA said Asiteza, who works with online news website Daily Express, was arrested on August 11 and remained in police custody at Kampala Central Police Station (CPS) for five days without a publicly disclosed charge.
UJA said Asiteza was arrested in a joint operation involving operatives attached to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU).
The journalists’ body also said Asiteza’s colleague, Hannington Mbabazi, was picked up from Bweyogerere-Kirinnya and detained at the SHACU offices before being released later that night without charge.
According to UJA, police records list Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda and her personal assistant, Juma Masuumi, as complainants, although the specific charge against Asiteza had not been disclosed when the statement was issued.
UJA said Asiteza had earlier reported on alleged corruption in the recruitment of Assistant Resident District Commissioners and Resident District Commissioners, a process he reported was being investigated following a presidential directive.
The association said this reporting could be connected to his arrest, although it did not provide independent evidence establishing that link.
UJA Secretary General Emmanuel Kirunda said the association became aware of Asiteza’s detention on Tuesday evening and attempted to secure his release on police bond, without success.
The association has now threatened further legal intervention, saying it is in contact with lawyers to secure the journalist’s freedom.
Uganda’s Constitution provides that a person arrested on suspicion of committing a criminal offence must, if not released earlier, be brought before a court as soon as possible and not later than 48 hours after arrest.
The 48-hour requirement has also been affirmed in Ugandan court decisions dealing with unlawful detention. In one constitutional case, the court found that keeping suspects in police custody beyond the prescribed period violated their constitutional right to be brought before court.
UJA said Asiteza’s continued detention raises concerns about both the observance of constitutional rights and the independence of journalism.
The association is demanding his “unconditional and urgent” release, while calling for the circumstances surrounding his arrest and detention to be clarified.
Asiteza has previously reported for Daily Express on major legal, political and security stories in Uganda, including proceedings involving opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye.
The allegations made by UJA regarding the involvement of Minister Babalanda, Masuumi and security agencies had not been independently confirmed from the statement alone, and no response from the named officials or security agencies was included in the protest note.
