Saturday, April 26, 2007
KAMPALA (Reuters) – Ugandan security forces on Saturday raided the offices of a magazine seen as critical of President Yoweri Museveni’s government, arresting three journalists and taking computers, a lawyer said.
It was the second time the bi-monthly Independence has been raided since its launch in October last year.
"They have accused my clients of being in possession of seditious materials and publishing inflammatory materials," said Bob Kasango, the publication’s legal representative.
Dozens of security officers went to the magazine’s offices at 8.30 a.m. (0530 GMT), arresting managing editor Andrew Mwenda, consulting editor Odobo Bichachi and journalist John Njoroge, he said.
"We think the government is not happy with a story The Independence published in a recent issue exposing atrocities committed by government forces during the war," Kasango said, adding that the security officers took away various PCs.
Government officials and police were not immediately available for comment. In power for two decades, Museveni’s government is criticised by rights groups for authoritarian tendencies including sometimes suppressing independent media.