Rutagungira, a Rwandan citizen, was kidnapped by Ugandan security operatives in August this year, and held incommunicado at Mbuya military barracks for months where he was subjected to all sorts of torture before he could be produced to court.
Incarcerated at Makindye Military Prison, Rutagungira is jointly charged with eight other people including police officers in connection with kidnapping the former bodyguard of President Paul Kagame in 2013 who was extradited to Rwanda and sentenced to life imprisonment.
In a letter to the Country Representative of the UN Human Rights, the family through Kiiza and Mugisha Advocates, accuses Uganda’s security agencies of torture.
The lawyers’ letter shows that Mr Rutagungira has been denied visitation rights from his family, lawyers and medical personnel, a situation that has worried his family about the state of their relative.
“We therefore invite your good offices to take solid interest and strongly intervene in the matter so that you firmly demand an end to the said torture and other violations against the said Rene Rutagungira,” the letter reads in part.
Addressing journalists in Kampala, Mr Eron Kiiza the lawyer representing Mr Rutagungira explained that the move to seek the intervention of UN office followed the denial of the military court to hear his client’s application.
“Our client’s visitation rights have been denied yet the other suspects are allowed. His relatives, children, wife and lawyers have been blocked from accessing him at the prison and we believe this is a violation of his personal liberty and it is very painful for them,” Mr Kiiza said.
According to the petition, Rutagungira was arrested in August last year by soldiers attached to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) who subjected him to physical and mental torture including solitary confinement and death threats among other violations.
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