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Media must fight against corruption, not just report on it – MFWA

Felicia Anthonio
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Media must fight against corruption, not just report on it – MFWA
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is deeply worried that the overwhelming majority of the media in West Africa and specifically Ghana concentrate on routine reporting of public events rather than driving change and fighting injustice through investigative reporting.
The MFWA is equally worried that, the few who also produce critical or investigative pieces that expose corruption close their files after reporting on a few incidents, instead of engaging in a sustained campaign against the menace. As evidenced by several researches, corruption is one of the biggest challenges confronting good governance and development in West Africa and Ghana for that matter. This is manifested, among others, through political intolerance, lack of accountability and transparency, low level of democratic culture and limited inclusion of citizens in governance processes. The results have been depletion of national wealth, increased costs of goods and services, social inequality, persistent poverty, insecurity and lack of basic services.
Fighting the corruption menace requires a media that is independent, vibrant and assertive to expose such malpractices. The media by its watchdog role and agenda-setting capability should not only report on corruption issues or only wear an appearance of fighting the menace. The media must go beyond just reporting allegations to providing real evidence. When evidence exists, they must be relentless in their pursuit for perpetrators to be punished. They must actively fight corruption by engaging in persistent probing of how public resources are utilized; ask critical questions, follow up on issues of public interest and hold defaulting duty-bearers accountable to the citizens.
The MFWA therefore calls on the media to demonstrate greater commitment and wage a tireless fight against corruption by being campaigners against the canker rather than just channels for reporting incidences of malpractices and corruption. This should be the priority of the media in a developing country such as Ghana.
The MFWA is committed to working with, and supporting journalists and media organisations that wish to tackle corruption and bring about real change. Under our Journalism for Change (J4C) Initiative we are committed to enhancing the capacity of the media to be agents of change and engage in impact journalism. We urge the media to consciously join in the fight against corruption.
 Issued by the MFWA in Accra on September 11, 2015. 
The MFWA is a regional independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Accra. It was founded in 1997 to defend and promote the rights and freedom of the media and of expression. 

‘Online media can contribute to citizen participation, good governance’

Felicia Anthonio
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‘Online media can contribute to citizen participation, good governance’

MISA Zambia wishes to note that online media have great potential of contributing to citizen participation and good governance in Zambia through instant, on demand access to information for informed decision making and freedom of expression.

This is in light of the internet boom arising from the increased number of citizens accessing the internet, with over four million mobile internet users in Zambia, further leading to the rise of internet journalism.

It is therefore important that online media users, specifically online journalists, exercise a high level of professionalism and always adhere to the bare minimums of journalism such as fairness, balance and objectivity.

It is our view that government should create a favourable environment for the enjoyment of online media freedom, the lack of which has previously led to the classification of the country as ‘not free’ on global press freedom indices.

Instances of blocking websites as was observed in the past years should be condemned and there should be dialogue and concerted effort towards the improvement of online platforms.

We believe, therefore, that the government through ZICTA as the operative body should embrace online media and help create policies that encourage increased local participation on the internet while upholding the principles of net neutrality such as universal access.

It is for this reason that MISA Zambia had chosen to highlight the importance of online media freedom by commemorating the Online Media week between Monday August 31st to Friday September 4th with various activities aimed at creating public awareness.

The commemoration week ran under the theme “Online Media Freedom for better citizen awareness” with several activities lined up such as online media exhibitions and meetings with key stakeholders including the Ministry of Information and broadcasting services.

We wish to call on all media freedom activists, civil society, government and other stakeholders to join in this noble commemoration for the betterment of the online media in Zambia.

Issued by:
Hellen Mwale
Chairperson, MISA Zambia

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MISA Zambia launches second quarter state of the media report

Felicia Anthonio
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MISA Zambia launches second quarter state of the media report

MISA Zambia launched the 2015 State of the Media Report for the second quarter of 2015 at the Cresta Golfview Hotel in Lusaka on September 2, 2015. The event attracted close to 45 key stakeholders from academia, civil society, government and the journalism fraternity at large.

In his keynote address, Forum for Democratic Process (FODEP) Executive Director, Macdonald Chipenzi stated that media freedom in Zambia had only seen a marginal improvement under the PF government as Journalists have continued to suffer double tragedy through increased incidences of harassment and intimidation in the midst of draconian legislation that criminalises the freedom of expression on the national statutes and low pay among others.

Mr. Chipenzi also noted that the prosecution of those seen to be advancing violent attacks on journalists has been selective, thereby becoming an issue of concern.

He also urged journalists and other practitioners to always have the public interest at heart and ensure they respect their moral responsibility as the country heads towards the tripartite elections in 2016.

Mr. Chipenzi further advised the government to own up to the many promises made during the elections in 2011 pertaining to the liberalization of the media and the promotion of media development.

Speaking at the same event, MISA Zambia Board Chairperson, Hellen Mwale said it was disappointing that the previous session of Parliament adjourned without even a single statement from the Minister of Information on the Access (ATI) to Information bill process despite having previously promised to make the presentation of the bill a priority.

She stated that it was high time the government gave a comprehensive pronouncement to show commitment towards the presentation of the ATI bill, which was actually reflected as one of the ruling party’s policies in the manifesto on which it was elected in 2011.

Among those in attendance were veteran good governance activist and MISA Zambia ATI Ambassador Reverend Suzanne Matale who strongly appealed for the need to scale up efforts in demanding for the ATI bill.

The meeting resolved to draft a petition on the ATI bill and meet the minister of information to present the said petition as a build up to the convening of Parliament later this month.

Ends/

MISA Zambia

Liberia: Cemesp Launches Report On Media Performance

Felicia Anthonio
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The Center for Media Studies & Peace Building or CEMESP, in collaboration with the Press Union of Liberia has released a report on media monitoring and content analysis, focusing on accountability in the use of Ebola funds.

Speaking Tuesday, 8 September at the Monrovia YMCA on Broad Street, CEMESP executive director, Malcolm Joseph, said, the aim of the exercise is to gage how well Liberian journalists reported on the use of monies that were sent to Liberia to fight the Ebola Virus Disease, including the overall performance of the media during the crisis, which took the lives of over a thousand Liberians.

According to the report, which covered the period July-August 2015, after seven weeks of monitoring and analyzing, it was observed that the media in Liberia is still largely focused on reporting political stories then seeking accountability for public funds.

It says out of 1,190 stories published and broadcast by 14 media institutions, which was monitored by IREX, only 140 were Ebola-related and out of this number, only 40 reported something related to Ebola funds or resources accountability about donations, pledges and complaints on benefits for Ebola workers.

The President for the Press Union of Liberia,Adbullah Kamara, who officially launched the report, urged journalists to follow up on stories and make use of the Freedom of Information or FOI law in demanding public information.

By Bridgett Milton

Centre for Media Studies and Peace Building

Press Union of Liberia

AFIC and PPDC Launch New Report on Open Contracting and Open Government in Africa

Felicia Anthonio
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AFIC and PPDC Launch New Report on Open Contracting and Open Government in Africa

KAMPALA–Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) and Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) are pleased to launch a report, “OGP in Africa: Opportunities for Open Contracting”, The report presents an analysis of the extent to which Open Contracting and Open Budgets are included in respective National Action Plans (NAPs) of African Open Government Partnership countries.

Public contracting is the main mechanism through which governments provide goods and services to their citizens. Annually, governments around the world spend approximately US 9.5 trillion on public contracts. Yet, in many countries, information on these contracts is not publicly available and cannot be scrutinized by civil society or other stakeholders. This lack of transparency leads to decreased accountability of governments and increases the likelihood of mismanagement, malpractices, fraud, and corruption.

In Africa, construction of roads, power dams, railway and other infrastructure is going on in almost every country. A key feature of these projects is wide discrepancy in costs between them and in all cases above international average rates. Public contracting has also been associated with conflicts, cost escalation, delays among other issues which affect value for money.  In Uganda for example, a report by the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority revealed that 99.3% of contracts overshot planned budget while the Inspector General of Government reported that 71% of contracts were not completed on time.

The Open Contracting Community argue that increasing citizens access to information and participation in public contracting or open contracting performance of contracts and value for money can be improved. Open contracting Global Principles have been elaborated to guide the process of promoting contract transparency and citizen participation.

This report by AFIC and PPDC concluded whereas the Open Government Partnership that none of Africa’s OGP members mention Open Contracting in their NAP. Although a number of these countries have made commitments and great strive on Open Budgets, participatory mechanisms are still lacking. In addition, no international data standards on disclosed data (be it contracts, budget data, or otherwise) are mentioned at all. AFIC and PPDC recommend the immediate adoption of open contracting in OGP country action plans. Advocacy and technical assistance for country stakeholders may be considered.

Read the full report here.

JED and RSF Appalled at the Prohibition of Ducumentary Film on Rape against Women in the DRC

Felicia Anthonio
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JED and RSF Appalled at the Prohibition of Ducumentary Film on Rape against Women in the DRC

On 2nd September, the Congolese minister of Information Lambert Mende“strictly prohibited” the airing in the country of a film titled “the Man who Rehabilitates Women – the Anger of a Hippocrate”, a film produced by Thierry Michel together with Colette Braeckman, a journalist specialized in Central African affairs. According to the minister, the armed forces feel scandalized by the documentary which is about the use of rape as a weapon of war and the action of Doctor Mukwege to help the victims in South Kivu. Meanwhile, the producers had recently been assured by the minister himself that the film could be shown in the DRC.

“The attitude of the Congolese authorities is shameful and demonstrates their narrow-mindedness. What government is this that denies violence perpetrated against thousands of Congolese men and women over nearly 20years of war in the East of the country; that denies its people their basic right to information and to know the history of their country?” lamented Clea Kahn-Sriber , head of the Africa Bureau of “Reporters without Borders”

“This decision is not based on any law, and is clearly arbitrary, added Tshivis Tshivuadi, General Secretary of Journalists in Danger (JED). If there has been any complaint of defamation from the army, let it be known.And even in that case, how could it have justified this plain act of censorship? In this high-tech era, this anachronistic measure is a shame to the Democratic Republic of Congo”.

Reporters without Boarders and JED call on the Information minister to reverse this act of censorship – even if such a decision only increases public curiosity to watch the film.

In November 2014, Doctor Mukwege was awarded the Sakharov Prize of the European Parliament, which led to the erection of a giant billboard on Kinshasa’s Boulevard du 30 Juin to celebrate the doctor and his award. In 2012, and again in 2015, assassination attempts were made against the doctor. According to the statement issued by Thierry Michel, he lives cloistered in his hospital and goes out only under the protection of United Nations soldiers.

The film has won six international awards in five countries and on three continents.

Of late the government of the DRC has earned notoriety for its disregard for electoral time-lines and for its killer attitude towards the media.

DRC occupies the 150th position in the 2015 ranking of press freedom conducted by Reporters without Borders.

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Journalistes en danger

Reporters Without Borders

 

Gambia: Authorities revoke permission for Al Jazeera staff, threaten them with arrests

Felicia Anthonio
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0
Gambia: Authorities revoke permission for Al Jazeera staff, threaten them with arrests

A team of Al Jazeera journalists that went to Banjul to film and report on human-interest stories have been prevented from carrying out their assignment and threatened with arrest.

According to MFWA’s sources and news reports, the Gambia’s ministry of information, who had earlier given permit, told the team on arrival in the country that they could not film “pending further authorisation from Gambian president Yahya Jammeh, who at the time was on vacation at his birth village of Kanilai.”

The team comprising, Catherine Wambuo-Soi (correspondent), Evelyn Kahungu-Kihara (producer) and Simon Munene (cameraman) were also threatened with arrests if they failed to heed the directive.

Sources say Wambuo-Soi was going to interview President Jammeh on his HIV treatment programme, migration of Gambian youths and other human interest issues.

“We got approval from the Government to travel to Banjul to do some human interest stories, but unfortunately a day after our arrival, we were told by our fixer that the government has asked us not to film anything or else risk being arrested,” Wambuo-Soi is reported to have said.

“We were not arrested or deported.” The team said “We were treated well and welcomed but unfortunately, we were told not to film anything for reasons best known to them.”

The team consequently left The Gambia on August 30 and are said to be in Nairobi, Kenya.

This second time this year that Al-Jazeera journalists have encountered challenges in discharging their duties in the region even after they have been granted permission. In March 2015, two Nigerian Al Jazeera journalists who had gone to cover a military operation against Boko Haram during the lead up to Nigeria’s election, were detained by members of the Nigerian military. Even though Ahmed Idris and Ali Mustafa filmed with the cooperation of the military and were accredited by the Independent Electoral Commission to report from anywhere in Nigeria during the entire electioneering period, they were detained for 12 days before being released.

Media Foundation for West Africa

Photo credit: jollofnews.com

Empowering Citizens to Access Information: Transitional Countries Doing Better than Ghana

Felicia Anthonio
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Empowering Citizens to Access Information: Transitional Countries Doing Better than Ghana
Several transitional countries in the West Africa region are doing better than Ghana in terms of demonstrating stronger commitment to transparent governance.
A number of countries in the region, which have gone through years of civil wars or transitioning from recent political crises have empowered their citizens with a legal right to access public information and to demand accountability. They have done so by passing Right to Information (RTI) Laws.
The latest to join the league of countries in the region that have demonstrated commitment to transparent governance through the passage of a RTI law is Burkina Faso. The country’s transitional Parliament passed the RTI law on Monday August 31, 2015. Burkina Faso becomes the 7th country within the West Africa region and the 17th across Africa to have a Freedom Of Information (FOI) law.
The passage of the RTI law by the Transitional Parliament of Burkina Faso is considered a bold and significant commitment to good governance giving that the country is going through a process of democratic reconstruction following the overthrow of former President Blaise Campoare in October, 2014.
Other transitional countries that have shown commitment to transparent governance through the passage of a RTI law are Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Cote d’Ivoire.
Liberia, as part of its efforts to rebuild the country 15 years after its civil war, passed an RTI law in 2010. Similarly, Sierra Leone, which went through a brutal civil war as well as post-conflict governance challenges, guaranteed its citizens the legal right to access public information by passing a RTI law in 2013.
Guinea, which has also been going through waves of political crises in the last two decades, guaranteed its citizens the right to access information by passing the law in 2010. Despite its turbulent political crises less than five years ago, Cote d’Ivoire also guaranteed its citizens the right to access public information and demand accountability by passing a RTI law in 2014.
Governments have often cited security challenges as reasons for not wanting to pass a RTI legislation. Significantly, despite security challenges posed by fundamentalist groups in Nigeria and Niger, both countries guaranteed their citizens the legal right to access information by passing RTI laws in 2011.
Ghana is touted as the most stable democracy in West Africa. Successive governments, including the current government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have trumpeted their commitment to transparent and accountable governance. Regrettably, Ghanaian governments and successive sessions of parliament have denied Ghanaians the legal right to access information. This is despite more than ten years of pleas by the citizenry and advocacy by civil society groups for a RTI law to be passed.
While we congratulate the transitional leadership in Burkina Faso on taking such a bold decision to foster transparent, accountable and responsive governance, we urge the government and Parliament of Ghana to speed up the process of passing Ghana’s RTI law.
The right to access information is a fundamental human right guaranteed by regional and international instruments to which Ghana is a signatory.
The MFWA also calls on other countries in the West Africa region that have no RTI laws to adopt such laws to promote transparency and accountability in governance. We also urge the ECOWAS to adopt a regional framework on access to information in line with the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
 Issued by the MFWA in Accra on September 2, 2015. 
The MFWA is a regional independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Accra. It was founded in 1997 to defend and promote the rights and freedom of the media and of expression. 

MRA Condemns Arrest and Detention of Journalist, Calls for his Unconditional Release

Felicia Anthonio
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MRA Condemns Arrest and Detention of Journalist, Calls for his Unconditional Release

LAGOS: Monday, August 31, 2015: Media Rights Agenda (MRA) today condemned the arrest and continued detention of Nigeria-based Cameroonian journalist, Simon Ateba, by the Cameroonian authorities on allegations of espionage. MRA called for his immediate and unconditional release.

Mr. Ateba, a Cameroonian who has worked as a journalist in Nigeria for over a decade, was arrested at about noon on August 29, 2015 at the Minawao refugee camp in Cameroon and taken to Makolo, about 12 kilometres away in the far north of the country.

Ateba, who was at the camp to report on the conditions of refugees there, was accused of spying for the Islamist insurgent group, Boko Haram. He said the authorities have informed him that he would be taken to Yaoundé, the Cameroonian capital, and handed over to the secret police which will try him for espionage. His trip to the refugee camp was a part of the Nigerian Investigative Reporting Project (NIRP), an initiative of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR).

Mr. Edetaen Ojo, MRA’s Executive Director, said:  “By resorting to such tactics, which are becoming increasingly evident in different countries, whereby governments and security agencies level ridiculous charges of espionage and supporting terrorism against journalists who write critical reports or investigate official wrongdoing, the governments are doing themselves a great disservice.  The governments must understand that while they may actually be successful in punishing the affected journalists, this ‘success’ comes at a great cost as the governments lose credibility every time they engage in this practice, the ultimate consequence being that they trivialize and undermine any legitimate effort they may be making to combat terrorism.”

Mr. Ojo therefore called for his immediate and unconditional release Mr. Ateba, adding that “the Government of Cameroon and its security agencies must allow him to carry out his work unhindered and ensure that they live up to their responsibility to protect him while he is within their territory.”

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www.mediarightsagenda.net  

Tanzania: AFIC Urges Tanzania to Pass Strong Freedom of Information Law

Felicia Anthonio
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Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) urges the United Republic of Tanzania to strengthen the Freedom of Information Bill that is currently before Parliament to bring it in line with regional and international standards. The right to information is also recognized by several African Union treaties ratified by Tanzania. These include the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption and the African Union Youth Charter.

AFIC also calls upon Tanzania to ensure that the Media Services Bill does not obstruct peoples’ right of access to information. The Access to Information Bill in particular seeks to operationalize Articles 18(1) and 18(2) of the Constitution which provides,

 “Without prejudice to expression the laws of the land, every person has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and to seek, receive and impart or disseminate information and ideas through any media regardless of national frontiers, and also has the right of freedom from interference with his communications.” …

“ Every citizen has the right to be informed at all times of various events in the country and in the world at large which are of importance to the lives and activities of the people and also of issues of importance to society”

However, these bills are far from perfect. Tanzania risks passing premature Bills. The bills in their current state fail to meet standards set by the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights in 2002 and African Union Model Law on Access to Information adopted by the same Commission in 2013.

Whereas AFIC welcomes recent efforts to legislate in favour of citizens access to information but is concerned with key provisions in the Freedom of Information Bill. The Bill does not meet standard set by the African Model on Access to Information in respect of: obligation for officials to create, manage and disclose records, acknowledgement of receipt of information requests, duty to assist requesters, long time frames and procedures for transfer of requests. Other concerns include open-ended deferrals, restrictive form of request, fees and wide exemptions among others. We urge Parliament to consider these recommendations on the Access to Information Bill.

The Media Services Bill also needs strengthening by including specific articles recognizing freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom; establishing criteria for awarding lincences, establishment of a Public Broadcasters Board as well as appointment of an Independent Media Council among other recommendations on the Media Services Bill.

Tanzania, like most African states has come a long way in terms of the right to information.  The proposition of Bills that promote freedom of expression and access to information is a commendable step for Tanzania. It is imperative that openness applies to both public and private institutions financed by public funds. Good governance is about open and accountable institutions and observance of the rule of law.  The Africa Freedom of Information Centre calls upon the relevant actors to take up a role in securing absolute access to information and freedom of expression in Tanzania, by revising the Access to Information and Media Services Bills so as to ensure an open government culture and practice.

Zim Police Commissioner should investigate assaults of journalists

Felicia Anthonio
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0
Zim Police Commissioner should investigate assaults of journalists

MISA-Zimbabwe Chairperson Kumbirai Mafunda has urged Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri to investigate and bring to account members of his force involved in the assault of journalists conducting their lawful professional duties.

In his report to the MISA-Zimbabwe Annual General Meeting in Harare on 20 August 2015, Mafunda said:

“While cases pertaining to media freedom violations are somewhat on the decline, we are concerned that a number of the violations involve the assault and harassment of journalists  by security personnel.”

He cited the assault of journalists Angela Jimu, Privilege Musvanhiri, Justin Mutenda, Tapiwa Zivira, Phillimon Jambaya, Edgar Gweshe and Crispen Ndlovu, as some of the cases that immediately come to mind involving the police, municipal police and other security personnel.

“We condemn these wanton acts of impunity and gross violations of journalists’ constitutionally guaranteed right to media freedom.

“We also condemn in the strongest of terms the continued use of AIPPA (Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act), to curtail media freedom through undemocratic media registration requirements, which are patently unconstitutional and in conflict with regional and international best practice in promoting media freedom and diversity,” said Mafunda

The MISA-Zimbabwe Chairperson said the recent arrest and conviction of Patrick Chitongo under AIPPA, was a graphic reminder of the severity of challenges that still confront Zimbabwean journalists.

“I therefore implore the Zimbabwean government as a prominent member of regional bodies such as SADC and the African Union, to demonstrate exemplary leadership.

“Respect for rule of law and fundamental human rights is key to the rebranding and repositioning of Zimbabwe if the country is to retain international goodwill and attract desperately needed foreign direct investment critical to resuscitating the ailing economy,” he said.

He urged journalists to be on the frontline in defending the media democratic space.

“We should write and report on these issues. Lets do it on Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp and on the basis of the IMPI report’s findings and recommendations. As journalists and media practitioners we should take the lead in utilising these social media tools in amplifying our calls and demands for comprehensive media reforms.”

On the closure of the Zimbabwe Mail and Southern Eye newspapers, and the subsequent firing of scores of journalists and media workers from both the private and public media in the wake of the recent Supreme Court ruling, he said:

“The media sector in Zimbabwe …  cannot be allowed to die given the hunger for information that is out there and more-so in a country seeking solutions to its socio-economic and political ills.

Mafunda said media representative bodies such as MISA, Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe National Editors Forum, Media Centre and the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe, should meet to discuss the unfolding crisis.

/Ends

MISA is a regional non-governmental organisation with members in 11 of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries. Officially launched in September 1992, MISA focuses primarily on the need to promote free, independent and pluralistic media, as envisaged in the 1991 Windhoek Declaration.  

Access article on  www.misa.org

Enquiries:

MISA Zimbabwe
Nyasha Nyakunu
Programmes Coordinator
Telefax: +263 4 776165746838
Email:  [email protected]
Website:  [email protected]
Twitter: @misazimbabwe
Facebook: Misa Zimbabwe

MISA Regional Secretariat
Tel: + 264 61 232975
E-mail:  [email protected]

Uganda: Journalists charged with Criminal Defamation

Felicia Anthonio
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0

Two Red Pepper journalists were on August 19, 2015, released almost a week later since they were remanded to Luzira after failing to pay cash bail of 2 million Uganda shillings (USD571) each. Nahabwe Ronald and Tugumisiirize Benon were on August 13, 2015 charged with criminal defamation before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate, Lillian Bucyana and granted bail, but they failed to raise the money and were remanded to prison up to September 9, 2015. The New Vision’ Madina Nalwanga and Patrick Tumwesigye were released on that day after paying the money.

A team of lawyers including HRNJ-Uganda’s Diana Nandudu and Kenneth Ntende applied for a production warrant before the Chief Magistrate which was obtained on August 18th , 2015, resulting into the duo’s release the next day at about 1:00pm local time.

On August 13, 2015, Nahabwe, and Tugumisirize together Nalwanga and Tumwesigye were charged with six counts of criminal defamation. According to the charge sheet, the four allegedly wrote and published in their respective newspapers defamatory statements against two Kampala businessmen, Ntaganda Ephraim and Francis Drake Lubega. However, the charge sheet does not specifically disclose the criminal defamatory statement alleged to have been published by the victim journalists.

Prosecution of the four brings the number of journalists in Uganda with pending criminal defamation cases to sixteen. Sections 179 and 180 of the Penal Code Act which provide for the offence of criminal defamation are being challenged in the East African Court of Justice, contending that their continued use is a violation of the fundamental and operating principles of the East African Community Treaty. Hearing of this case commenced on July 13, 2015 in Arusha, Tanzania.

Nahabwe described the spell in jail as a very difficult time, “It has been a very difficult time for us but we believe we shall go through it. We were ambushed when we appeared in court and remanded to Luzira Prison.” He told HRNJ-Uganda.

Ntaganda recently told HRNJ-Uganda that the four journalists were added on to the case after declining to reveal their sources of information to police and testifying against them in court.

“We believe that these are trampled up charges. We are disturbed by the unjustified huge amount of money asked by the court from the journalists so as to secure their freedom. The conditions of granting bail are generally supposed to be reasonable. Therefore court should not use hash bail conditions to deny suspects justice.” said the HRNJ-Uganda National Coordinator Robert Ssempala.

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