By Ivan R Mugisha
A Rwandan who claims to have been illegally
arrested and tortured in Uganda has filed a lawsuit at the East African Court
of justice demanding $1 million (UShs. 3.7 Billion) in damages.
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| Venant Hakorimana (35), a biology teacher filed the case in Arusha, Tanzania |
The suit,
however, will be more keenly watched for the diplomatic undertones given the
bad blood between the two neighboring countries that has hampered movement of
people and goods.
Venant
Hakorimana, filed the case in Arusha, Tanzania on Monday through his lawyer, Mr Richard
Mugisha under reference Number 11 of 2019 of EACJ's first instance division.
He said
on Monday that he was arrested a day after arriving in Kampala in July last
year and detained for ten months. During his stay in a Ugandan prison, he was
allegedly tortured by security operatives.
“I was
working in Ethiopia as a teacher for Applied Biology. I was detained in Uganda
in July last year where I had gone to visit and check on my property in Mbarara
District,” Hakorimana said.
He
claimed security operatives beat him every day "sometimes using
electricity to torture me.”
After
nine months of incarceration, in March this year, he was finally produced in a
Ugandan court, where he was found guilty for illegal entry and sentenced to 12
months in prison or pay a fine of Shs1 million (about $266). After he paid the
fine, he was deported.
The
35-year-old will be represented for free of charge by Rwandan seasoned lawyer,
Richard Mugisha, the founder and partner of Trust Law Chambers.
Hakorimana
becomes the third Rwandan to sue Uganda over wrongful incarceration.
Mr
Ezekiel Muhawenimana and his wife, Ms Esperance Dusabimana were charged in a
Ugandan court and sentenced to a year in prison for illegal entry via the
Cyanika border last August.
They
served for nine months and are seeking compensation of $100,000 (Shs3.7
billion) from the Uganda government. They are also represented by Mr Mugisha.
In April,
a Ugandan advocate, Mr Steven Kalali, filed at the East African Court of
Justice, a lawsuit accusing Rwanda of violating free trade and movement of
people by closing the Gatuna border in February.
Rwanda
last week temporarily opened Gatuna (for two weeks) to test the readiness of
the one-stop-border post which has been under construction since last year.
However,
goods from Uganda continue to face restriction at the border and many popular
Ugandan products are missing in Rwanda’s markets and shops.
Rwanda
accuses Uganda of supporting rebels while Uganda says the Rwandans who were
arrested were on espionage missions sponsored by Rwanda.
Since
February, Uganda has not allowed Rwandan travellers to cross over after Kigali
issued a travel advisory that its citizens risked arrest and torture in
Kampala.
The East
Africa Community, the common market to which the two countries belong, has been
studiously quiet on the altercations even as evidence comes through that it is
hurting other member states. -Africa
review.com
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