Uganda prosecution drops charges against activist Nicholas Opiyo
Human rights defender Nicholas Opiyo.
© facebook / Nicholas Opiyo
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
The prosecution drops the money laundering charges against Nicholas Opiyo, one of the country's best-known human rights defenders and the most critical of the government.
His arrest last December, denounced by many civil liberties activists, caused a stir in the middle of a tense election campaign ahead of the January poll.
He was released a few days later.
His trial had been stalled for months.
Advertising
Read more
With our correspondent in Kampala,
Lucie Mouillaud
It is a relief for David Mpanga, lawyer for Nicholas Opiyo.
After nine months of investigation, the prosecution had yet to present evidence to the judges.
Last week, the court therefore gave the prosecutor seven days to reveal the results of the investigations.
An untenable delay, according to the words of the spokesperson for the prosecution.
But for David Mpanga, the money laundering lawsuits opened in December were not intended to succeed, but to put his client under pressure.
Before the ballot last January, Nicholas Opiyo had been very critical of the police.
At the time, he was also investigating the November protests, in which 54 people died according to official reports.
Today, there are no more charges against him.
But the Ugandan authorities suspended its civil liberties organization a few weeks ago, along with 53 other NGOs.
In question: the non-respect of certain administrative procedures.
Charges denied by Nicholas Opiyo.
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Uganda
Justice