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Human Rights Commissioner condemns use of force against demonstrators in Uganda
Markus Löning, the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights, issued the following statement today (11 May), after demonstrations were violently broken up in the run-up to the inauguration of Uganda’s re-elected President Museveni:
“This brutal treatment of people exercising their right to freedom of assembly and freedom to demonstrate is truly shocking. The German Government utterly condemns the use of violence to disperse peaceful protesters.
Those responsible for the fatal shots fired must be brought to justice. I urge the Ugandan Government to guarantee the right to freedom of expression and to prevent any further violence.
I welcome the fact that hearings in the Ugandan Parliament regarding the Anti-Homosexuality Bill have been discontinued. President Museveni remains called upon to respect human rights and protect minorities.”
In ongoing protests, the Ugandan people have been voicing their existential concerns in the face of steeply rising food and petrol prices for a month now. The intervention of security forces is marked by excessive use of violence. To date, at least ten people have been killed and dozens injured.
The Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which would make “severe homosexuality” punishable by death, was once again discussed in the Ugandan Parliament in early May.