Earlier this month, a lawyer named Mr Bruce Afran from Princeton, New Jersey, USA, submitted a new petition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) requesting an investigation into allegations of torture and abuse by Ugandan officials.
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The petition specifically implicates Ugandan President Gen Museveni, his son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and other officials from the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) in these crimes. The petition, filed on July 11, names a total of 26 officials and includes sworn statements from over 200 individuals who claim to be victims of these crimes.
The International Criminal Court, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary on July 1, is the only permanent tribunal in the world that deals with cases of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression. It intervenes when member states are unable or unwilling to prosecute such cases themselves.
If the ICC accepts the petition and decides to proceed with a trial, it is possible that other Ugandan police and military officers may also face charges for similar offenses. Mr Afran emphasized that the court is open to including more officers as the investigation progresses.
In response to the petition, the Attorney General of Uganda, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, suggested that filing the case with the ICC may have been unnecessary. He stated that the ICC is a court of last resort and should complement the justice system of a signatory state, only intervening when that state is unable to provide justice. However, he also mentioned that the government had not yet been officially served with a copy of the petition.
According to the Attorney General, Mr Kiryowa Kiwanuka, he said that he has not yet seen the petition and is unaware of its contents. However, based on social media discussions, he believes that there is a US lawyer who is pushing the ICC to investigate the violence that occurred during the 2021 election in Uganda. Mr Kiwanuka considers this a political move, as similar discussions have been ongoing for the past three years.
He further stated that investigations have already been conducted in Uganda regarding the election violence, with individuals being charged and sentenced in the courts of law. Mr Kiwanuka emphasized that Uganda has a transformed justice system and if the lawyers involved in the petition wanted to address any concerns, they have the option to bring them before the courts in Uganda.
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