Johannesburg – Security services in Uganda must answer to claims by Omar Awadh Omar’s mother that her house was raided several times, and she was tortured and detained in her quest to seek justice for her son. Omar Awadh Omar was kidnapped in Kenya in 2010, imprisoned in Uganda and tortured – all with the complicity of British and American security agencies. Omar has a case lodged in Britain to seek accountability from the government for his mistreatment. In 2015 Omar and four other men were acquitted of terrorism charges in relation to the 2010 Kampala bombings, but on their way out of court they were rearrested on what officials claim to be documentation linking them to terrorism. So far they have not undergone a trial for these charges yet they have been detained for a year. Omar’s mother, Fatuma Said Abdullah, 63, has since her son’s arrest been harassed and subjected to physical and psychological torture. Her crime, she says, is that she is the mother of Omar and that she is Somali. Feroze Boda of CAGE Africa, said: “It is simply inhumane and illegal under international law for security services to treat an elderly woman in this way. Ms Abdullah should be granted damages and an apology from authorities for the manner in which she has suffered under their hands in the worst detention centres in Uganda.” “Ms Abdullah’s claims must be investigated by an international court as symbolic of the structural and open racism against Somalis in Uganda through the lens of the 'War on Terror', but also as an example of how the families of prisoners are treated as guilty by association, and suffer endless violations to their persons and homes.” “The case of Omar Awadh Omar has serious violations of the rule of law and due process. To be rearrested after acquittal on dubious charges, and then to be detained indefinitely with no further explanation is torturous. We demand the immediate release of Omar so that he can be returned to his family to live in peace.” Press enquiries: press@cage.ngo
<em>Johannesburg</em> – Security services in Uganda must answer to claims by Omar Awadh Omar’s mother that her house was raided several times, and she was <strong><a href="http://www.observer.ug/news/headlines/53804-mother-of-july-2010-terror-suspect-claims-torture-by-security-officers.html">tortured and detained</a></strong> in her quest to seek justice for her son.
Omar Awadh Omar was kidnapped in Kenya in 2010, imprisoned in Uganda and tortured – all with the <strong><a href="https://cage.ngo/article/the-re-arrest-of-omar-awadh-omar-in-uganda-shows-the-hidden-hand-of-the-fbi">complicity of British and American security agencies</a>.</strong> Omar has a case lodged in Britain to seek accountability from the government for his mistreatment.
In 2015 Omar and four other men were acquitted of terrorism charges in relation to the 2010 Kampala bombings, but on their way out of court they were rearrested on what officials claim to be documentation linking them to terrorism. So far they have not undergone a trial for these charges yet they have been <strong><a href="http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/No-trial-for-rearrested-bombing-suspects-a-year-after-acquittal/688342-3963452-e4j47m/index.html">detained for a year.</a></strong>
Omar’s mother, Fatuma Said Abdullah, 63, has since her son’s arrest been harassed and subjected to physical and psychological torture. Her crime, she says, is that she is the mother of Omar and that she is Somali.
<strong>Feroze Boda of CAGE Africa, said: </strong>
“It is simply inhumane and illegal under international law for security services to treat an elderly woman in this way. Ms Abdullah should be granted damages and an apology from authorities for the manner in which she has suffered under their hands in the worst detention centres in Uganda.”
“Ms Abdullah’s claims must be investigated by an international court as symbolic of the structural and open racism against Somalis in Uganda through the lens of the 'War on Terror', but also as an example of how the families of prisoners are treated as guilty by association, and suffer endless violations to their persons and homes.”
“The case of Omar Awadh Omar has serious violations of the rule of law and due process. To be rearrested after acquittal on dubious charges, and then to be detained indefinitely with no further explanation is torturous. We demand the immediate release of Omar so that he can be returned to his family to live in peace.”
<ends>
<strong>Press enquiries: </strong>
Karen Jayes
karen@cage.ngo
