Urgent Call for International Protection of Bobi Wine Following Direct Threats by President Museveni’s Son

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Amsterdam & Partners LLP, longtime international counsel to Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine, issues an urgent warning regarding public threats made against Mr. Wine by General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and a senior commander within Uganda’s security apparatus.

These statements, made publicly in the immediate aftermath of Uganda’s January 15^th election, constitute a grave and credible threat to Mr. Wine’s life and physical safety. When viewed in the context of Uganda’s long-documented pattern of violence, torture and unlawful detention of opposition figures, the risk posed by these threats cannot be dismissed as rhetorical or political posturing, and must be treated as an immediate, operational risk requiring preventive action.

Robert Amsterdam, Founder and Managing Partner of Amsterdam & Partners LLP, stated:

General Kainerugaba exercises command authority over armed forces that have repeatedly been implicated in serious human rights violations. His statements therefore carry the weight of state power and have operational significance, and they materially elevate the risk of unlawful harm. Under international law, such threats trigger immediate obligations on the part of the Ugandan government to prevent violence, protect life and ensure the safety of those at risk.

When threats are issued by senior officials and remain unrepudiated, they may be understood by security forces tacit authorization. That ambiguity is itself dangerous and must be removed immediately through clear public and operational directives.

In light of these reckless statements, we urgently call on the international community, including the United Nations, to demand immediate, verifiable guarantees of Mr. Wine’s safety and ensure he can return to his family without harm.

Based on my personal knowledge of the torture Mr. Wine has previously suffered at the hands of Ugandan security forces, it is not hyperbolic to state that his arrest or detention now carries a real and credible risk of death or grievous bodily harm, including through enforced isolation or unlawful interference by state-linked actors.

Mr. Wine has committed no crime. His only offence is exposing, once again, the brutal and dictatorial nature of President Museveni’s rule, through peaceful political opposition and the exercise of fundamental rights.

The Government of Uganda has clear and binding duties under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights, to protect its citizens. Failure to restrain General Kainerugaba and ensure Mr. Wine’s safety would constitute a serious breach of those obligations, engaging state and individual responsibility. These threats are well beyond the pale.

Amsterdam & Partners LLP emphasizes that Uganda is a party to multiple international and regional human rights instruments that impose an affirmative duty on the state to protect political opponents from violence, including when such threats originate from senior members of the ruling family or military command. The responsibility for Mr. Wine’s safety rests squarely with the Ugandan government and, ultimately, with President Museveni himself.

The firm calls on the United Nations, foreign governments and international human rights mechanisms to treat these threats with the utmost seriousness, to demand immediate guarantees for Mr. Wine’s safety, and to make clear that any harm to him will carry consequences under international law.

About Amsterdam & Partners LLP

Amsterdam & Partners LLP is an international law firm specializing in human rights and political advocacy, based in London and Washington, DC. For more information, please visit www.amsterdamandpartners.com.

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