Thread by @RosebellK

Today @HEBobiwine together with Arua MP elect, Kassiano Wadri, Gerald Karuhanga (Ntungamo), Paul Mwiru (Jinja), form MP Mike Mabikke and 30 other Ugandans will be in court for their bail hearing.
#FreeBobiWine
#FreeArua33

Among the 30 other Ugandans are four women. Their names appear last on the list on the charge sheet. The story centers only prominent figures as it should but often ordinary citizens fighting along, their stories become a footnote. #FreeBobiWine.

I choose to highlight stories of these women because while ordinary people's stories get lost, women at or caught in political contestations easily vanish from our tale of the day's events. #FreeBobiWine

Asara Night, 38 years old, District Councillor for Arua Hill Division, mother of three. Violently arrested, a senior police officer kicked, stomped and used the gun butt of an assault rifle to repeatedly hit her multiple times in the torso.
#FreeBobiWine
#FreeArua33

Night was with a group violently bundled onto police vehicles, driven at break-neck speed to Gulu. While at Gulu Prison, herself & other female detainees were threatened with rape & death by among others by several police officers including a commander.
#FreeBobiWine
#FreeArua33

Night had C-Section so she has a delicate scar. She was in severe pain esp in pelvic area and torso. For days she was passing blood in her urine as result of torture. No update yet on her condition after court said she cd see a doctor.
#FreeArua33
#FreeBobiWine

Night during interviews with human rights defenders made particular note of the rough treatment women in (espy elective) politics subjected to by state security and govt functionaries.
#FreeBobiWine
#FreeArua33

2: Abola Jane, 31 year old woman. She was a guest at Hotel Pacific when the army and police carried out a raid. She is a resident of Kampala. She was not part of the electoral campaign in Arua or any related activities. Abola is a mother of three.
#FreeArua33
#FreeBobiWine

Abola was woken up by noises as gunfire raged. It wasn't long before loud bangs on her door & demands that she opens the hotel room door which she did immediately. Armed men in military uniform & police gear descended on her, slapping and kicking her.
#FreeArua33
#FreeBobiWine

Abola told lawyers the armed men asked her to reveal the whereabouts of
@HEBobiwine. She didn't know, this further infuriated them. Led by Regional Police Commander, they hit her multiple times with a gun butt and kick her repeatedly all over her body.
#FreeArua33
#FreeBobiWine

Abola was taken to Arua Police Station, thrown in a packed room with other people. At 2.00 AM she was bundled on a vehicle driven to Gulu Police Station. She is gravely concerned about her children aged 9 yrs, 5 yrs & 3 months whom she left in Kampala
#FreeArua33
#FreeBobiWine

3: Nalubowa Caroline, 28 year old woman, a resident of Arua. At 7.00PM, Nalubowa had gone to buy a drink at Hotel Royal. She had just left the bar counter with her drink when a hail of bullets thundered outside.
#FreeArua33
#FreeBobiWine

Shortly after a soldier grabbed Nalubowa, threw her drink away and assaulted her viciously. She was taken outside told to lie down with rest. Soldiers stomped on her back and kicked her repeatedly. She was later transferred to Gulu Police Station.
#FreArua33
#FreeBobiWine

4: Akira Maida, 23 years old works as a cashier. She’s a mother of a one year and three months old baby. She was just a bystander who had left the baby at the hotel with someone and came to check on what going with the election processions.
#FreeArua33
#FreeBobiWine

When the chaos ensued, Akira started running towards the hotel to get her baby but she didn't make it. A group of armed men caught her, roughed her up and beat severely. Consequently, she was injured in her abdomen and passes blood whenever she urinates.
#FreeArua33
#FreeBobiWine

The minder Akira had left with her baby also run for her life, leaving the baby behind. Akira was later told that her baby was picked up by a 'good samaritan'
She's concerned about the state of her baby - One year and 3 months!
#FreeArua33
#FreeBobiWine

Throughout these stories, the name of Regional Police Commander, Jonathan Musinguzi and Gulu District Police Commander appears as having been central to the torture of these women and several others arrested.
#FreeArua33
#FreeBobiWine

Jonathan Musinguzi is said to have personally kicked, stomped suspects incl. women. He also ordered police officers to shoot arrested persons saying in Swahili, “piga risasi!”. Police officers declined, prompting him to assault the junior officers.
#FreeArua33
#FreeBobiWine

With the current massive state sponsored/inspired violence, we need to have more public interest and human rights/criminal defence lawyers. The few who am told are under under thirty countrywide are stretched and overwhelmed.
#FreeBobiWine

While this thread is concerned with the ordeal and current plight of the female victims, male detainees were subjected to similar treatment by the armed forces that we continue to condemn.
#FreeArua33
#FreeBobiWine

The intention is to raise specific impact this state sponsored violence has on women including a breastfeeding mother. Also lawyers noted the women victims had more life threatening injuries.
#FreeBobiWine
#FreeArua33

*One clarification. Abola Jane is not charged with treason. She's on a separate charge of "inciting violence" #FreeArua33

Abola is among the 12 so far granted bail.