Uganda: Chapter Four Reacts to Arrest of Opiyo

By Development Diaries
December 27, 2020

Chapter Four Uganda has condemned the arrest of its Executive Director, Nicolas Opiyo, by security operatives in the country over alleged money laundering.

Opiyo was arrested along with three other lawyers – Herbert Dakasi, Anthony Odur and Esomu Obure – and human rights officer of National Unity Platform (NUP), Hamid Tenywa.

‘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’, police in Uganda tweeted.

Opiyo’s arrest comes barely a week after he represented Uganda National NGO Forum and the Uganda Women’s Network – whose accounts were frozen over terrorism allegations.

‘We condemn this brutal abduction and we call upon our colleagues and partners to condemn the arbitrary violation of his personal liberty, incommunicado detention and call for his immediate unconditional release’, the non-governmental organisation said in a statement.

CSOs in the country had challenged the government to prove its claim that the Uganda National NGO Forum and UWONET are financing terrorism.

The Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) had said in a letter addressed to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that it freezed the organisations’ accounts over their alleged funding of terrorism.

The organisations are understood to be heavily involved in civic education and criticising the government over what they believe is the government’s failure to provide equal opportunity for political competition ahead of the general election scheduled for 14 January, 2021.

Speaking at a press conference, the CSOs accused the government of deliberate denial of the civic space for those involved in demanding good governance.

‘We protest against the actions of the state and we think they are doing this out of panic given the heated up political season in the country’, Executive Director of Chapter Four Uganda, Nicholas Opiyo, said.

Opiyo is understood to have worked tirelessly since 2005 to defend civil liberties in Uganda, often for free and on behalf of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups.

Last month, the government of Uganda deported two heads of the United States and European Union-funded NGOs in the country over allegations they support regime change.

Two other heads of foreign NGOs carrying out civic education and strengthening political parties regarding next year’s election were barred from returning to Uganda.

Sources within civil society say the government’s decision to deport or block the return of the officials was based on the belief that they had been providing support to presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi.

Source: The Guardian