WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2021 – The American Bar Association Center for Human Rights, in conjunction with the Clooney Foundation for Justice’s TrialWatch initiative, issued a TrialWatch Fairness Report with a grade of “C” after monitoring the criminal proceedings against journalist and filmmaker Moses Bwayo in Uganda.
Bwayo was charged with unlawful assembly for filming a scene for a documentary about opposition activist, presidential candidate, and musician Bobi Wine in February. Authorities alleged that the gathering and filming constituted subversion of the Ugandan government. Bwayo’s arrest, detention, and prosecution for speech that was wholly nonviolent and that concerned political matters violated his right to freedom of expression the report found. The report also noted that the arrest violated his right to peaceful assembly. The case against Bwayo was dismissed by the court in August. As Uganda prepares for its presidential and parliamentary elections on Jan. 14, it must ensure that journalists are protected from reprisal for their coverage of opposing campaigns the report determined.
A copy of the ABA’s Center for Human Rights TrialWatch Fairness Report can be read here.
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The Clooney Foundation for Justice's TrialWatch initiative monitors criminal prosecutions of vulnerable persons around the world. For more information, go to https://cfj.org/project/trialwatch/.