VZCZCXRO2929
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHKM #0367/01 0610636
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 020636Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8341
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KAMPALA 000367 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT PASS TO USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KDEM PINS UG
SUBJECT: UGANDA: GOVERNMENT RE-ARRESTS PRA SUSPECTS 
 
REFERENCE:  KAMPALA 2110 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  The Government re-arrested the remaining Peoples 
Redemption Army (PRA) suspects, after they were released on bail on 
March 1, during a confrontation that turned violent on the premises 
of the High Court.  Over the past year, the Executive and President 
Museveni have defied two court rulings to release the suspects on 
bail.  The Government's refusal to respect the court orders, and now 
the re-arrest, has heated up the political opposition and increased 
international attention on the conflict between the Judiciary and 
Executive.  Principal donor countries and members of the Partners 
for Democracy and Governance (PDG) group -which does not include the 
U.S.-have initiated joint actions to protest Museveni's 
unwillingness to respect "the rule of Law." 
End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) On March 1, police and prison officials re-arrested the nine 
remaining Peoples Redemption Army (PRA) suspects on murder charges 
after they were given bail on treason charges, some military or 
paramilitary units may also have been involved.  Justice Eldad 
Mwangutsya, upholding two earlier Constitutional Court decisions, 
had referred the suspects to the Court Registrar's office to verify 
that they fulfilled the conditions for the bail granted on November 
16, 2005.  Police and other security officials moved in with force 
to prevent the suspects from leaving.  Some of the suspects and/or 
court attendees were beaten with batons and a defense lawyer was 
injured, according to foreign diplomats at the court.  During 
negotiations with top judicial officials, the police reportedly 
agreed not to embarrass the court by re-arresting the PRA suspects 
on court premises.  However, the police and other security elements 
did apparently deploy within the court with batons and dogs and 
seized the suspects. 
 
¶3.  (U) Minister of Internal Affairs Ruhakana Rugunda said that the 
PRA had been released on bail for the treason charges against them, 
and that the Government respected this decision.  He then stated 
that the PRA suspects were being charged with murder and that these 
offenses were different from the treason case.  He added that the 
police would produce them in court on the new charges. 
 
¶4.  (U) The Deputy Supreme Court Justice Laeticia Kikonyogo 
condemned the heavy police and military presence on the premises of 
the High Court.  Principal Judge James Ogoola said that he was 
"concerned for the Court, for liberty in this country, and for the 
peace of this country." 
 
---------- 
Background 
---------- 
¶5.  (SBU) Twenty-three individuals alleged to be part of the rebel 
group Peoples' Redemption Army (PRA) were arrested in early November 
2005 in different parts of Uganda.  On November 14, 2005, the 
General Court Martial (GCM) charged the suspects with treason along 
with the head of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Kizza Besigye. 
Besiyge was President Museveni's primary rival candidate in the 
February 2006 elections.  The High Court granted bail to 14 out of 
the 22 original suspects on November 16, 2005, but before their 
release the military sealed off the court and the suspects were 
returned to jail.  Eight of the 22 suspects did not apply.  Besigye 
was granted bail in January 2006 after significant international 
pressure.  The Uganda Law Society filed a petition in early 2006, in 
the Constitutional Court challenging the powers of the General Court 
Martial (GCM) to try civilians. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The Constitutional Court, on January 30, 2006, ruled that 
it was unconstitutional for the PRA suspects to be tried in both the 
High Court and the GCM.  The Court ruled that the GCM had no 
jurisdiction over the suspects because they were civilians.  In July 
2006, the Constitutional Court ruled bail was automatic unless the 
state proved serious damage if granted.  On January 12, 2007, the 
Constitutional Court upheld the High Court granting of bail in 
November 2005 and ruled that the PRA treason suspects were being 
held unconstitutionally.  The court ordered their immediate release. 
 In rendering its opinion, the Court stated the continued detention 
of the suspects infringed on the independence of the judiciary. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The State appealed the Constitutional Court's ruling on 
January 15, 2007.  The state argued that all suspects did not have 
the right to bail and that bail was not automatic.  It was only 
granted at the discretion of court.  According to the State, this 
argument required the overturning of the High Court Ruling.  The 
Government refused to present the suspects in court on January 25. 
The Government argued that the first judge erroneously granted bail 
and that two of the PRA suspects who received amnesty claimed the 
remaining suspects would return to rebellion if released. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The suspects appeared in the High Court on January 31, 
2007, but were remanded in prison until March 1, after the State 
filed a fresh application seeking the cancellation of the bail 
 
KAMPALA 00000367  002 OF 003 
 
 
granted to them on November 16, 2005.  The court was, however, 
unable to hear the application, after each of the suspects demanded 
that the matter should only be heard in the presence of their 
lawyers, and the lawyers refused to be present in court, claiming 
they would be lending credibility to an unconstitutional process. 
The defense lawyers wrote to the Principal Judge protesting the 
fresh remand orders and jurisdiction of the High Court judge. 
 
---------------------------- 
Museveni Justified Detention 
---------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The Government's continued detention of the PRA suspects 
in defiance of court orders has become an increasingly hot issue in 
the press and within ruling party circles.  On February 5, while 
addressing members of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) 
caucus, President Museveni felt the need to address the issue. 
According to several NRM MP's and the opposition press, Museveni 
told the caucus that he would not release the PRA suspects. 
According to the press, Museveni told the MPs that "as far as the 
government is concerned, the PRA suspects will never be released 
because they are still a security threat to this nation."  Museveni 
warned that if they were released by the court "they shall be 
re-arrested."   He added saying, "if they want to be free, amnesty 
is the only way for them."  His remarks received significant press 
coverage. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) The Attorney General, Kihiddu Makubuya, was called to 
appear before Parliament's Legal and Judicial Affairs Committee, but 
refused to discuss the PRA case before consulting with the Cabinet. 
He was told to 
re-appear before the committee after his consultation.  On February 
13, Makubuya told committee members that the Government would abide 
by the court's decision on March 1. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) The detainees--through their lawyers--say that they have 
been under pressure from the government to request amnesty.  In 
January, three of the original detainees requested amnesty and were 
released after filing affidavits admitting guilt and stating that it 
was their belief that their co-defendants would continue subversive 
activities if released.  Three more suspects requested amnesty on 
February 10.  Opposition figures claim the GOU is trying to force 
all the suspects to take amnesty and provide evidence against 
Besigye.  Another six requested amnesty on February 15.  Lawyers for 
the accused say that their remaining clients will not seek amnesty 
because they would have to admit guilt. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Judiciary, Rights Groups Condemned Detention 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Benjamin Odoki, Chief Justice of Uganda's Supreme Court 
has warned the government against attempting to achieve results 
through unconstitutional means and cautioned that, "if arms of state 
continue to undermine each other, the country could return to its 
turbulent past."  In a similar reaction, James Ogoola, Principal 
Judge, said "disregard of the rule of law stifles and suffocates the 
creative energy of the nation."  On February 7, the Acting Chief 
Registrar of the courts, Lawrence Gidudu, issued a press statement 
on behalf of the judiciary.  It denounced the Executive Branch for 
disregarding its duty to execute court orders. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) The Ugandan Human Rights Commission (UHRC), a government 
body, condemned the continued detention, stating that the act (or 
inaction) by government "constitutes a violation of the right to 
personal liberty and demonstrates lack of respect of the authority 
of the judiciary as one of the three arms of Government, and 
seriously undermines the rule of law and the supremacy of the 
Constitution."  The Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) 
said, "the continued denial of the right to bail and the use of 
force against individuals seeking to express themselves negate the 
principal of democratic governance." 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
Opposition Reactions to Continued Detention 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶14.  (SBU) Opposition MPs walked out of Parliament on January 30, 
protesting the continued detention of the PRA suspects and human 
rights violations.  The opposition returned on February 20, after 
making statements that the rule of law must be respected. 
On February 5, the largest party, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), 
said it would resort to "other means" to resolve the PRA issue 
because the courts had been "castrated."  Besigye, also a 
co-defendant, stated that there was "a complete breakdown in the 
constitutional order in Uganda when the Executive has made judicial 
directives impotent.  The people of Uganda should know that the 
constitutional order has been abrogated."  Besigye claims that the 
President has personalized the case and would not be deterred from 
 
KAMPALA 00000367  003 OF 003 
 
 
his campaign of clamping down on political opposition prior to the 
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶15.  (SBU) The Executive Branch will likely continue holding the 
suspects.  It will keep up the pressure to persuade the suspects to 
accept amnesty and/or implicate others, particularly Besigye. 
Various diplomatic missions have warned the GOU at the highest 
levels that the Executive's continued disrespect of the judicial 
rulings is undermining rule of law and could have negative 
consequences in the future. 
BROWNING