Court to hear torture claims by ex-ADF leader Jamil Mukulu
Former Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) commander Jamil Mukulu Alirabaki in the dock at High court in Kampala May 14, 2025. PHOTO / ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- Court documents describe Mukulu as the leader of both the ADF and the Salaf Muslim community in Uganda.
The International Crimes Division of the High Court is on Wednesday set to hear an application by former Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) leader Jamil Mukulu, who claims he was tortured and illegally extradited from Tanzania.
Mukulu, who is facing multiple charges alongside 37 co-accused, argues that his trial should not proceed until the court rules on his petition challenging the legality of his arrest and transfer to Uganda.
He has sued the Attorney General, asserting that the alleged violations of his rights must be addressed before he faces trial.
Mukulu and the group are accused of carrying out a wave of rebel attacks, including terrorism, murder, aggravated robbery, attempted murder, and membership in the ADF, a Ugandan Islamist militant group designated as a terrorist organization.
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According to the prosecution, Mukulu is accused of commanding attacks across eastern and central Uganda in districts including Bugiri, Tororo, Namayingo, Kampala, Wakiso, Jinja, Mbale, and Budaka.
Court documents describe Mukulu as the leader of both the ADF and the Salaf Muslim community in Uganda.
Prosecutors say he “issued orders to his co-accused to commit murders, robberies, and other acts of violence to further ideological and political aims.”
Among the most serious accusations is Mukulu’s alleged role in the murder of Sheikhs Dakitoor Muwaya and Yunus Abubakar Mandanga in Mayuge and Bugiri districts, respectively. He is also charged with killing two police officers, Muzamir Babale and Karim Tenywa, attached to Bugiri Police Station.
Prosecutors say the group also stole firearms, ammunition, a gold weighing scale, and large sums of money, and attempted to kill numerous civilians.
The Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Lino Aguzu, told the court that the suspects committed these crimes “for social, political, economic or religious aims in order to cause fear and panic among the public and government.”
The trial includes physical evidence such as vehicles and motorcycles, which cannot be moved to court and will instead be viewed at Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) headquarters in Kampala, according to court officials.
Mukulu was arrested in Tanzania in 2015 and extradited to Uganda after years on the run. He was previously listed by Interpol and has been at the center of Uganda’s anti-terror investigations for over a decade.
