News
Case of alleged beating – World Press Freedom Day
published on 02.05.2012 by admin
Kampala – The Foreign Correspondents’ Association of Uganda expresses grave concern and disappointment with the way in which the Ugandan police’s Professional Standards Unit has handled the investigation into the alleged beating of FCAU member Edward Echwalu, a freelance photojournalist who works for Reuters and Ugandan newspaper The Observer.
Echwalu, accompanied by two foreign correspondents based in Kampala, lodged a complaint with the Professional Standards Unit on April 5. In his recorded statement Echwalu alleges having been beaten by four police officers using batons and a rifle butt outside Kira Road police station in Kampala on March 21 as he tried to cover the detention of opposition activists.
Following his statement, Echwalu submitted evidence of his assault to the police’s Professional Standards Unit, containing the initial report of the alleged beating at Kira Road police station, photos of the concerned police officers and a medical note detailing his injuries.
Despite promises made on April 5 to thoroughly investigate the case within three weeks and to update Echwalu regularly on the proceedings, the Professional Standards Unit has not communicated in any way with either FCAU or Echwalu as of May 2, nearly a month after the official complaint was lodged.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Association of Uganda urges the Ugandan police to proceed swiftly with the investigation and would welcome some indication that this case is taken seriously. The Ugandan police’s action, or inaction, with regard to the case sends a clear signal to the police officers on what constitutes proper use of force and what is not to be tolerated.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Association of Uganda (FCAU) is an organisation of journalists working in Uganda for foreign and international news-media.
For further information and interviews please contact Petri Burtsov, FCAU Communications Secretary, +256 791 788 175
Click here for more information about the World Press Freedom Day.
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