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Director Decries Arrest of Former Fellow in UgandaKnight Fellowship director decries arrest of former fellow in UgandaApril 29, 2008 We are greatly disturbed by the arrest of former Knight Fellow Andrew Mwenda and two of his colleagues in Uganda on Saturday. It appears that the arrests are direct retaliation for a story on claims of torture at alleged secret government-run detention centers that was published in The Independent, Mwenda's bimonthly news magazine. Authorities also seized materials and documents from Mwenda's home and the magazine's office, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, citing local journalists and news reports. The journalists - Mwenda, Odobo Bichachi and John Njoroge - are free on bail in the capital, Kampala, and have not been formally charged. They have been accused of "possessing seditious materials" and "publishing inflammatory materials," according to their lawyer. Andrew Mwenda was a Knight Fellow at Stanford during the 2006-07 academic year. He is a courageous and outstanding editor and reporter, and we strongly urge Ugandan authorities to drop these charges against him and his colleagues.
James R. Bettinger
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