A Photographer attached to NXT MEDIA Group, who goes by the name of Francis Isano has been arrested by police today as he was taking pictures of the Central police station (CPS) where he was deployed.
Francis Isano has also had his camera confiscated and pictures deleted. This was seen in a short video that was shared on the NBS TV Facebook page this morning.
This is not the first time journalists have come into altercations with security officials while they are doing their work. About eight years ago, WBS TV journalist Lwanga faced the wrath of the army when he was beaten to a pulp for covering news and taking pictures that were meant to expose the wrongdoings of the army. Mr. Lwanga would later become paralyzed and has since then been confined to a wheelchair. Efforts to have him get justice have always come at snail’s speed.
Francis Isano
In February 2021, eight journalists were beaten and injured at the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) offices in kololo when they were covering news about Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu who had gone to deliver a petition to security agencies that violate human rights. These journalists included Joseph Sabiiti and Josephine Namakumbi of NBS TV, John cliff Wamala and many others.
In 2021, Police closed two radio stations in Jinja and arrested journalists over election results that were allegedly not in favor of what the electoral commission had announced.
In December 2020, in a very ugly scenario, police allegedly shot at Ashraf Kasirye of Radio One and Ali Mivule of NTV, while they were covering news concerning then-presidential candidate Robert, kyagulanyi Ssentamu, in the areas of Masaka. Kasirye went on to have severe head damage.
All these incidents where security operatives and or unknown goons violate the rights of not only journalists but also other citizens are bad and uncalled for. Things should be settled in a harmonious way, other than beating up or arresting people who are lawfully doing their work.
Those security operatives who violate people’s rights should be arrested and charged as individuals, expelled from the forces, and forced to pay for damages caused. This will bring some sense of sanity to the forces of this country.
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