The IFJ Strongly Condemns the Police Violence Inflicted Upon Two Journalists in Uganda

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today strongly condemns the harassment inflicted upon a photojournalist and a television reporter in Uganda on 4 October 2012.


“We are deeply concerned about the systematic crackdown on journalists in Uganda. We condemn this violence and call on authorities to investigate the case. We will never stop advocating and defending the rights of journalists to conduct their work safely and freely”, said Gabriel Baglo, IFJ Africa Director.    


According to news reports and independent sources like the Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) freelance photojournalist Isaac Kasimani from the Agence France Press and the private Daily Monitor newspaper and his colleague William Ntege, better known as Kyuma Kya Yesu from the Wavah Broadcasting Service (WBS) were subjected to police force on October 4.

 

Kasimani told IFJ sources that the was slapped by a policeman while another pushed him downstairs when he refused to end his conversation with the leader of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Dr Kiiza Besigye. Kasimani’s camera was destroyed in the process and he cannot lay a complaint against the police as the faces of the policemen were covered.


“The growing threat to the safety of journalists and media workers has become a major concern for IFJ. We pledge to the government of Uganda to put an end to the situation,” Baglo added.

 

For more information, please contact IFJ on +221- 33 867 95 87

The IFJ represents more than 600.000 journalists in 134 countries