TikTok Critique Lands Ugandan Man in Prison for Six Years
A 24-year-old Ugandan has been sentenced to six years in prison. The 24-year-old by the name of Edward Awebwa was charged with hate speech for spreading “misleading and malicious“ information against President Yoweri Museveni, first lady Janet Museveni, and son Muhoozi Kainerugaba (who is the head of the military) through the video he posted on TikTok. Awebwa had also shared abusive information, saying there would be an increase in taxes under President Museveni.
Tho Adebwa pleaded guilty and asked for forgiveness, but the presiding magistrate, Stella Maris Amabalis, said that while he had pleaded for mercy, he didn’t look remorseful for his action, and the words used in the video were ‘vulgar’. She also added that “the accused deserves a punishment that will enable him to learn from his past so that next time he will respect the person of the president, first lady, and first son.”. Adebwa was sentenced to six years for each of the four charges against him, which are to run concurrently.
Right groups are also against Ugandan authorities for violations of human rights and freedom of expression. There are recorded cases of people who have suffered due to some statements made, the likes of Kakwenza Rukirabasaija, an award-winning author, who was charged and jailed in 2022 for ‘offensive communication’ against the president and his son. He fled to Germany after his release. Another is Stella Nyanzi, who was jailed earlier for publishing a poem criticising the president.
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The president, Museveni, has been in power since 1986, and in 2022, he signed a law against speech, which received criticism from human rights activists, saying it’s aimed at suppressing freedom of speech online. Last year, in 2023, the constitutional court ruled that a section of the act that penalised ‘offensive communication‘ was unconstitutional.
Michael Aboneka, a Ugandan human rights lawyer, pointed out in an interview that the president and his family should expect criticism wherever it comes and should learn to overlook criticism from their citizens. If not, he will go around arresting anybody who speaks against him.
Content Credit| Igbakuma Rita Doom
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https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/courts-start-annual-vacation-1768372
