By Ben Musanje
Police have confirmed that human rights activist and Lawyer Praise Aloikin Opoloje is in custody, days after her arrest at Namungoona Police Station sparked concern among fellow activists and lawyers.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said during a press conference at Naguru on Monday that Aloikin was lawfully arrested over allegations relating to the misuse of digital and social media platforms.
Rusoke dismissed claims that the activist and lawyer had been abducted, saying she is being held as investigations continue and will be produced before court to answer the charges.
He said police have laws regulating the use of digital platforms and that individuals suspected of violating those laws will be held accountable.
Aloikin was arrested after she was summoned to Namungoona Police Station in Wakiso District. However, fellow activists later described her removal from the station as an abduction, raising questions about her whereabouts.
The Uganda Law Society (ULS), headed by President Isaac K. Ssemakadde, SC, has demanded her immediate release, describing her alleged transfer from the police station to an undisclosed location as an enforced disappearance.
In a statement issued on September 27, the Law Society accused state security agencies of systematically targeting political dissidents and critics through what it described as enforced disappearances.
Ssemakadde cited Article 7(1)(i) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which lists enforced disappearance as a crime against humanity when the conditions set out under international law are met.
The Law Society also said it was pursuing strategic litigation and human rights enforcement measures both within Uganda and before regional and international mechanisms.
“We demand the immediate release of human rights activist Praise Aloikin Opoloje,” Ssemakadde said, while calling for stronger action to protect citizens and members of the legal profession.
The Society further said it was strengthening its rapid-response mechanisms to document alleged rights violations and seek remedies before bodies including the East African Court of Justice and other human rights institutions.
Police, however, maintain that Aloikin’s detention is lawful and linked to ongoing investigations.
Rusoke said the activist is expected to appear in court to face charges related to the alleged unlawful use of social media platforms.
The specific charges and circumstances surrounding her court appearance are expected to become clearer as the case proceeds.
The dispute over Aloikin’s arrest comes amid heightened scrutiny of the treatment of activists and political critics in Uganda, with rights groups and government agencies often offering sharply different accounts of arrests and detentions. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
