The Ugandan general elections on 14 January were neither democratic nor transparent, deplores the European Parliament in a resolution adopted on Thursday 11 February by 632 votes to 15 with 48 abstentions.
MEPs condemn the excessive use of force by the police and army during the presidential election and their increasing interference in the overall political process (see EUROPE 12640/26).
The European Parliament condemns the violence against political leaders, their continued harassment and systematic repression, the repression of civil society, human rights activists and the media, and the disruption of social media platforms and cutting off Internet access.
It calls on the government to put an end to these practices, including the continued use of lethal and excessive force by security forces, and arbitrary arrest and detention.
MEPs call for the immediate and unconditional release of all persons arrested and detained solely for participating in peaceful political rallies or exercising their right to freedom of expression and association, including Nicholas Opiyo, the European Parliament’s 2016 Sakharov prize winner.
The European Parliament points out that sanctions against individuals and organisations responsible for human rights violations in Uganda must be adopted under the EU’s ‘Magnitsky Act’. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)