Uganda: Police Attack LGBTI Pride Event

Ugandan police unlawfully raided an event late in the evening of August 4, 2016, the third night of a week of Ugandan LGBTI Pride celebrations, brutally assaulting participants, seven human rights groups said today.

The event was a pageant in Kampala's Club Venom to crown Mr/Ms/Mx Uganda Pride. Police claimed that they had been told a "gay wedding" was taking place and that the celebration was "unlawful" because police had not been informed of the event. However, police had been duly informed, and the prior two Pride events, on August 2 and 3, were conducted without incident.

"We strongly condemn these violations of Ugandans' rights to peaceful association and assembly," said Nicholas Opiyo, a human rights lawyer and executive director at Chapter Four Uganda. "These brutal actions by police are unacceptable and must face the full force of Ugandan law."

The police locked the gates of the club, arrested more than 16 people – the majority of whom are Ugandan LGBT rights activists – and detained hundreds more for over 90 minutes, beating and humiliating people; taking pictures of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) Ugandans and threatening to publish them; and confiscating cameras. Witnesses reported that the police assaulted many participants, in particular transgender women and men, in some cases groping and fondling them. One person jumped from a sixth-floor window to avoid police abuse and is in a hospital in critical condition.

By approximately 1:20 a.m., all those arrested had been released without charge from the Kabalagala Police Station. This episode of police brutality did not happen in isolation, the groups said. It comes at a time of escalating police violence targeting media, independent organizations, and the political opposition.

"Any force by Ugandan police targeting a peaceful and lawful assembly is outrageous," said Frank Mugisha, executive director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), who was among those arrested. "The LGBTI community stands with all Ugandan civil society movements against police brutality."

"The Ugandan government should condemn violent illegal actions by police targeting the LGBTI community and all Ugandans," said Asia Russell at Health GAP. "The US and all governments should challenge President Museveni to intervene immediately and hold his police force accountable."

LGBTI Ugandans routinely face violence, discrimination, bigotry, blackmail, and extortion. The unlawful government raid on a spirited celebration displays the impunity under which Ugandan police are operating. "The state has a duty to protect all citizens' enjoyment of their rights, including the right to peacefully assemble to celebrate Pride Uganda," said Hassan Shire, executive director at Defend Defenders. "A swift and transparent investigation should be conducted into last night's unacceptable demonstration of police brutality."

Activists called on the governments to immediately and publicly condemn the raid and to take swift disciplinary action against those responsible for the gross violations of rights and freedoms. The organizers said that Pride Uganda celebrations will continue as planned, with a celebration on August 6.

"Our pride and resilience remain steadfast despite these horrible and shameful actions by Ugandan police," said Clare Byarugaba of Chapter Four Uganda.

"Celebrating with LGBTI people and demonstrating solidarity in calling for their rights to be respected is as basic a show of free expression and association under human rights law as you can get," said Maria Burnett, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Ugandan authorities should not only refrain from trying to stop such activities, but they have binding legal obligations to ensure others do not interfere in this fundamental exercise of basic rights."

Signatories:
Chapter Four Uganda
Defend Defenders
Health GAP
Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum
Human Rights Watch
Sexual Minorities Uganda
Uganda Pride Committee