Uganda / Africa

  
Opposition MP Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, known as Bobi Wine, and his wife Barbara Itungo Kyagulanyi, pictured at their home in Kampala, on September 20. Police detained at least eight journalists who were covering Bobi Wine's return to Uganda from the U.S. (AP/Ronald Kabuubi)

Ugandan police arrest at least 8 journalists covering opposition MP Bobi Wine

Nairobi, September 20, 2018–Police in Uganda detained at least eight journalists covering the return of opposition MP Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, from the U.S, according to media reports and local journalists. The arrests are the latest incident of Ugandan security personnel assaulting, harassing, or arresting journalists covering political tension in the past…

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Supporters of a jailed Ugandan lawmaker known as Bobi Wine protest outside the country's embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, on August 23. A Ugandan radio show host was detained overnight after his show broadcast a discussion on the lawmaker's arrest and recent protests. (AP/Khalil Senosi)

Ugandan police arrest and detain radio presenter overnight

Ugandan police on August 17, 2018 detained Samuel Kyambadde, a political show host and news presenter with the privately owned Metro FM, on allegations that he incited violence during his program, Kyambadde told CPJ on August 22. The journalist was released on bond the following day and is required to report daily to the Old…

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Security forces detain a protester in Kampala on August 20. Security personnel beat and detained at least four journalists who were covering unrest in Uganda's capital. (AP/Ronald Kabuubi)

Ugandan security forces attack and detain journalists covering protests

Nairobi, August 23, 2018–Security forces beat and detained at least four journalists covering protests in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, on August 20, and confiscated or damaged their equipment. CPJ today condemned the attacks and called on Ugandan authorities to hold those responsible to account.

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Journalists Herbert Zziwa, right, and Ronald Muwanga are pictured shortly after being released from Gulu Central Police station. (Daily Monitor/Julius Ocungi)

Ugandan security personnel arrest, assault journalists covering electoral unrest

Nairobi, August 17, 2018– Authorities in Uganda should immediately drop charges of incitement and malicious damage to property against two journalists and investigate allegations that security personnel on August 13 and August 14 assaulted members of the press reporting on political unrest in northern Uganda’s Arua District, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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A view of Uganda's Parliament in Kampala on June 20, 2018. Journalist Damba Wiziri was assaulted on July 27 and 30 while covering parliamentary elections. (AFP/Sumy Sadurni)

Ugandan journalist attacked twice while covering parliamentary elections

Nairobi, August 8, 2018–Authorities in Uganda should rigorously investigate two attacks on journalist Damba Wiziri that occurred while he was covering a recent national parliamentary election in Sheema Municipality, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni displays his inked finger after voting on February 18, 2016. In June 2018, Museveni and government officials verbally attacked and threatened the Ugandan media. (Reuters/James Akena)

Ugandan president, officials verbally attack and threaten media

Nairobi, June 18, 2018–Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni should stop making statements that denigrate and threaten the press, and ensure that his government does not take actions that conflate journalism with terrorism or national security threats, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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A demonstration calling for LGBT rights in Trinidad and Tobago on April 12. Journalists covering LGBTQ issues say they often face retaliation for their work. (Reuters/Andrea de Silva)

Covering LGBTQ issues brings risk of threats and retaliation for journalists and their sources

To mark the annual International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, CPJ spoke with journalists and news outlets based in Argentina, Iran, Indonesia, the U.S., Uganda, and Russia, about the challenges they face reporting on LGBTQ issues.

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A general view shows the capital city of Kampala in Uganda, in July 2016. Five unidentified men dressed in military camouflage seized journalist Charles Etukuri outside the newspaper's office in Kampala on February 13, 2018. (Reuters/James Akena)

Ugandan journalist seized in Kampala following investigative report

Nairobi, February 14, 2018–Ugandan authorities must make every effort to secure the safe release of Charles Etukuri, an investigative journalist for the state-owned New Vision newspaper, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Five unidentified men dressed in military camouflage seized Etukuri outside the newspaper’s office in Kampala yesterday, days after he published an investigation…

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Journalists and protesters hold placards outside an Istanbul court on October 31, 2017, calling for the release of jailed colleagues, including Turkish reporter Ahmet Şık. Turkey is the worst jailer of journalists in 2017. (AP/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Record number of journalists jailed as Turkey, China, Egypt pay scant price for repression

For the second year in a row, the number of journalists imprisoned for their work hit a historical high, as the U.S. and other Western powers failed to pressure the world’s worst jailers–Turkey, China, and Egypt–into improving the bleak climate for press freedom. A CPJ special report by Elana Beiser

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In defense of Uganda’s Red Pepper

CPJ has included eight staffers of the controversial Ugandan tabloid Red Pepper in its 2017 global census of imprisoned journalists. Some may disagree with that decision.

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