Ugandan Lawyer Demands Apology from UK and US Over Sanctions Against Speaker Anita Among

Joshua Okello, a lawyer from Soroti City, Uganda, has demanded public apologies from the UK and US governments over what he describes as “unwarranted sanctions” imposed on Uganda’s Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Annet Anita Among, and her husband, Engineer Moses Magogo.

In a press statement dated October 7, 2024, Okello expressed frustration over these sanctions and accused the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) of intentionally sidestepping his legal challenge, which aimed to dispute the legitimacy of the sanctions.

According to Okello, the sanctions are a result of Speaker Among’s role in the passage of Uganda’s highly controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

This legislation, signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni, received heavy criticism from Western countries, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom. Okello contends that the sanctions are unjust, claiming they were imposed solely due to Among’s involvement in this legislative process.

Okello initially filed a lawsuit contesting the sanctions with the High Court Civil Division in Kampala on May 7, 2024. However, he encountered numerous delays, with court officials citing a backlog of cases from 2023.

Disillusioned by the lack of progress in Kampala, Okello took his case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France, on June 4, 2024, hoping for a swift resolution that would expose what he claims is the “real truth” behind the sanctions.

To Okello’s dismay, the ECHR has not responded to his filing or scheduled a hearing for the case. He accuses the court of deliberately stalling, alleging that the institution is trying to protect the interests of Western powers, particularly the US and UK, which he refers to as “bootlickers” of American policies.

He argues that the absence of a court hearing underscores the lack of substantial evidence against Speaker Among and her husband, insisting that they are innocent.

In his demand for formal apologies, Okello highlights that his legal actions were aimed at clearing Among’s name and revealing the truth behind the sanctions.

He believes that the European court’s failure to hear his case serves as a tacit admission that the sanctions lack merit. Consequently, he calls on both the UK and US governments to retract the politically motivated sanctions and offer apologies for what he describes as their illegitimacy.