THE NATIONAL COALITION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

PRESS RELEASE

Office Break-in at Human Rights Network-Uganda

6
th
May 2014


On Sunday night the Human Rights Network-Uganda offices were broken into by
unknown persons. The office security system was completely disabled, the server taken
and two safes broken into. Other equipment such as computers, surveillance cameras,
sensitive files, reports were also taken. Investigations to verify actual inventory of the
stolen and vandalised items is ongoing.

The break-in at HURINET-U follows a trend of similar occurrences on organisations
involved in human rights promotion and protection in Uganda. Previously, we have seen
organisations like Anti Corruption Coalition Uganda, Foundation for Human Rights
Initiative, East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, Action Group for
Health, Human Rights and HIV/Aid and Lira NGO Forum among others broken into
under similar circumstances. Usually information stores and servers are targeted with
potential aim of derailing their work.

The National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders is concerned with the increasing
trend of targeted attacks to premises of human rights organisations.

What has happened to HURINET-U is part of a wave of criminality that continues to hit
the sector, states Mr. Ndifuna Mohammed, Executive Director of HURINET-U. In the
last six months we have witnessed incidents that target HRDs. We are concerned that
we have not seen anyone brought to book. Other than what is published in the media we
are keen on supporting the investigations to its conclusion.
We call on the Uganda Police Force to expeditiously invesigate circumstances under
which such incidents occur.

We call upon the government to provide protection to civil society and we wish to
emphasize that the UN Declaration on HRDs imposes that duty on the state stated Ms.
Margret Sekaggya, Executive Director Human Rights Centre.

We implore Human Rights Organisations to remain steadfast in their work and such acts
should not in any way be deterrence to their continued promotion and protection of
Human Rights in Uganda.

For further information please contact:
Mohammed Ndifuna
Executive Director/ Chairperson National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders
Human Rights Network Uganda
mohndifuna@gmail.com achaloij@gmail.com +256714419229 or +256-772-315-896