Human rights body to assess Nyanzi’s health in prison

Kampala. The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), has promised to visit remanded former Makerere University Research Fellow, Dr Stella Nyanzi, in her jail cell in Luzira and assess her health condition that her lawyers say needs private and specialised treatment following a miscarriage.
The intended visit by the human rights body, follows a petition that was lodged to them last week by her lawyers of Centre for Legal Aid, seek their intervention.
The lawyers had contended that Dr Nyanzi is in urgent need of post-abortal care and management and that the prison authorities have denied her access to her antenatal card and other medical records, which are currently being kept by the prison authorities.
“This is to confirm receipt of the complaint and further inform you that the complaint has been referred to the Commission’s Central Regional office for further investigations,” a letter written by the director of complaints, investigations and legal services at UHRC, Ms Ida Nakiganda, reads in part.
It adds: “Efforts are going to be made to access your client Dr Stella Nyanzi at Luzira women prison and assess her condition.”
The UHRC also wrote and alerted Dr Nyanzi’s lawyers that their office in central region will contact them in the event that they are needed to provide further and better particulars concerning Dr Nyanzi’s complaint.
In their petition to the UHRC earlier this month, Dr Nyanzi’s lawyers said she suffered a miscarriage on January 4 and is in urgent need of post-abortal care and management but the prison authorities have refused to allow her personal doctor permission to assess her condition.

Lawyers request
The lawyers had among others, requested the human rights body pursuant to Article 52 (1) (a), 52 (1) b and 53 of the Constitution, to visit Luzira prison’s women wing to assess and inspect the condition that their client is in and make further recommendations.
They had also requested the human rights body to commence investigations into the alleged violation of her constitutionally guaranteed rights to health and access to emergency private treatment.
Dr Nyanzi has been on remand at Luzira prison since November last year on charges of cyber harassment and offensive communication.
On January 9, she told a High Court judge of how she had suffered a miscarriage while at Luzira prison.