WAN-IFRA, WEF condemn attacks on Ugandan journalists
The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum have condemned a series of attacks on journalists in Uganda, and called on the government to ensure that journalists can carry out their jobs without fear or intimidation.
"We are concerned that physical and legal attacks on journalists intimidate and silence the press," the organisations said in a letter to President Yoweri Museveni. "They stifle criticism and can lead to self-censorship."
One journalist has been killed, another beaten, and others have been detained and prevented from working on vague "anti-terror" grounds in recent week. A proposed amendment to the Press and Journalist Act would restrict freedom of expression through onerous registration and licensing requirements on printed media.
