We are troubled by the tragic loss of life and injuries at the hands of Uganda's security forces during the recent "walk-to-work" protests, as well as the continued detention of opposition leaders. We also are concerned by reports that the Ugandan government has attempted to restrict media coverage of these protests and, on at least one occasion, block certain social networking websites.
Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are fundamental human rights and a critical component of democracy. We renew our call for the Ugandan government to respect the opposition’s right to express its viewpoints and citizens’ rights to demonstrate peacefully and without fear of intimidation.
