FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION The court ruled that if the state had evidence On 20 August, the NGO Bureau, an official against them, it should charge them in court body responsible for regulating NGOs, rather than detain them “unjustifiably”. The ordered the immediate suspension of 54 police spokesman said that Robert organizations, claiming that they had failed to Kyagulanyi had been placed under comply with NGO legislation, including by “preventive arrest” because he had “planned operating under expired permits, or by failing to disrupt public order” but did not specify 3 to file accounts or registering with the what was being planned. Bureau. The independent Uganda National Prior to the ruling, security personnel NGO Forum said that most of the blocked access to Robert Kyagulanyi and his organizations were not informed of the family even when they ran out of food. The Bureau’s decision or given an opportunity to US embassy in Uganda said that on 18 respond.1 January, their ambassador was prevented Also, on 20 August, the NGO Bureau from visiting the family. The same day, suspended the activities of the Africa Institute security forces raided the NUP party for Energy Governance. Between 6 and 13 headquarters. October, the police arrested four of its staff in ARBITRARY DETENTION AND UNFAIR Hoima city and Buliisa town in the west, and TRIALS in the capital, Kampala. They were all released the same day without charge. On 22 On 14 June, a military court in Kampala October, on the NGO Bureau’s instructions, released 17 NUP supporters and associates police in Kampala arrested another six on bail of UGX 20 million (about US$5,670) members of staff for operating without a after they had spent 166 days in military permit. They were released three days later. detention. They were among 126 NUP FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION supporters and staff arrested in December 2020 in Kalangala town, central Uganda. The On 9 January, Facebook shut down dozens of Chief Magistrate had granted them all bail on accounts it claimed were linked to the 4 January, but 17 of them were re-arrested ministry of ICT. The company said the the same day and held for several days. They ministry had used “fake and duplicate were charged with illegal possession of accounts”, to enhance its popularity ahead of ammunition and remanded at Kitalya prison the elections. On 12 January, President in Wakiso district. Museveni accused Facebook and others of On 10 September, the Director of Public interfering with the electoral process; and the Prosecutions withdrew trumped-up money- executive director of the Uganda laundering charges against Nicholas Opiyo, Communications Commission ordered executive director of human rights telecommunications companies to organization Chapter Four Uganda. He had “immediately suspend any access and use” been arrested on 22 December 2020, of social media and online messaging detained at the police Special Investigations platforms. Service providers such as Airtel Unit in Kireka, Kampala, and later remanded and MTN Uganda texted their subscribers to Kitalya prison.4 He was released on bail 2 announcing the suspension. The same day, eight days later. the government blocked the internet for five On 28 December, armed security operatives days. arrested author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija in FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT Kampala, after he posted online comments about the commander of the UPDF’s Land On 25 January, the High Court of Uganda Forces, also the president’s son. He lifted the house arrest of Robert Kyagulanyi remained in incommunicado detention at the and his wife, Barbara, after security forces end of the year. had surrounded their house on 14 January. Amnesty International Report 2021/22 378