Ugandan student activists who protested against EACOP face delayed justice in court

On April 26th, 2023, the Buganda Chief Magistrate Court adjourned the hearing of a case filed by the Ugandan government against nine university student activists who participated in a peaceful march against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) after the prosecutor failed to appear in court for the hearing.

The activists are charged with a common nuisance offence linked to investments towards Uganda's controversial EACOP and other oil projects. Despite the continued adjournment and delays caused by the prosecution team, the student activists remain committed to fighting against harmful oil projects in Uganda.

The Youth for Green Communities (YGC) and activists from the StopEACOP campaign are calling for solidarity, action, and support for the activists, urging the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to drop the charges against them. The ongoing case is seen as unnecessary persecution of defenders of the environment and the climate threatened by dirty and poisonous fossil fuel projects like EACOP. The StopEACOP Campaign Coordinator, Zaki Mamdoo, called for respect of the right to peaceful protest as enshrined in the Ugandan Constitution.

Click here to read the full press statement by YGC and here to access the letter submitted to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP)