NUP parades another torture victim
Mr Yasiin Busulwa during the NUP press conference on February 28, 2022. PHOTO/MICHEAL KAKUMIRIZI
What you need to know:
- When given a microphone to tell his story, Mr Busulwa could hardly speak and only managed a few words before breaking down in tears.
The National Unity Platform (NUP) has paraded another man who they said was tortured by security operatives.
Mr Yasiin Busulwa, who was yesterday rolled into the NUP headquarters in Kamwokya, Kampala, on a hospital bed, was allegedly arrested in November 2020 and held for more than a year.
When given a microphone to tell his story, Mr Busulwa could hardly speak and only managed a few words before breaking down in tears.
“I was arrested in November 2020 together with five other friends and we were driven to Masaka District where we were tortured,” Mr Busulwa said.
Mr Busulwa also said he was dumped by security forces in Nakawa Division, Kampala, on Saturday afternoon.
He displayed scars on his chest which he said he got after a metallic machine was impelled into his ribs.
He added that he was cut multiple times with machetes on the head, and beaten with blunt objects.
Mr Ronald Balimwezo, who said he is taking care of Busulwa in hospital, said: “Since we picked [him up], he has been in bad shape and he cannot talk, we got in touch with his family who told us that they were sure that their person had died. We took him to hospital and he is responding well to medication.”
Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, the NUP party president, said the intention of parading the victims before the media was to take stock of the torture cases and gather evidence against the government for their petition to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“For a long time, Gen Museveni has succeeded in hiding atrocities that are committed against Ugandans. We are displaying victims to the public because like we said, we petitioned the ICC, and one day, he (President Museveni) will account for each of these cases,” Bobi Wine said.
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This is the fourth torture victim NUP has displayed in a space of two weeks.
Last week, the party released a list of 178 members whom they said had been tortured by the security operatives, and more than 15 of them have died.
The leadership of NUP also indicated that despite their efforts to reach out to Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) for assistance, nothing has been done.
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However, Mr George Musisi, a human rights lawyer, said they learned of the whereabouts of Mr Busulwa a day before he was dumped despite their spirited inquiries from the day he was arrested in 2020.
When contacted, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces spokesperson, Brig Felix Kulaije, said: “I don’t know the facts around this case and I can’t comment. But I will find out the facts and get back to you.”
