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Monday 12 September 2011

Kampala Twin Blasts: Uganda Frees Kimathi

Reuters reports that a Ugandan judge on Monday, 12 September, freed Al-Amin Kimathi, a human rights activist arrested in connection with the Kampala bomb attack by Somali terrorist cell al-Shabaab.

Kimathi's lawyer told the press that his client was released after the state prosecutor dropped the murder and terrorism charges against him.

"We are not charging these people before court now. But if tomorrow the state believes it has reason then they can start all over again," said Judge Justice Owiny Dollo as he delivered his judgement.

That, according to Kimathi's lawyer, Peter Walubiri, is a major concern. He believes that although the charges have been dropped now, authorities could always find other charges to level against the activist.

"When the DPP (Director of Public Prosecution) withdraws charges, it is possible those charges can be reinstated or that you can be charged with other charges technically. But I know that given the nature of this offence, these allegations by the time the DPP decides to withdraw, he knows that he has absolutely no case, against these five accused persons, so we honestly believe that this is the end of the road for the DPP with regard to these five people," said Kimathi's lawyer, Peter Walubiri.

According to Reuters, Al-Amin Kimathi, the head of the Muslim Human Rights Forum in neighbouring Kenya, was arrested in the Ugandan capital last September after travelling to the east African country to witness court hearings of eight other Kenyan suspects extradited to Uganda, also facing murder and terrorism charges.

Kimathi, as well as a Kenyan, a Somali and two Ugandans who were arrested in connection to the attacks, were released due to a lack of evidence. However 14 others arrested still remain in custody.

Friends and family members of the activist were jubilant about his release, but denounced his year-long detention.

The twin blasts that ripped through crowds watching the soccer World Cup final in July 2010 in Kampala, killed 79 people and wounded several dozen, according to Reuters.

Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab from Somalia claimed responsibility for the attacks, calling it punishment for Uganda's troop deployment to the African Union peace keeping mission in Mogadishu.

The east African country forms the bulk of the A.U.-mandated AMISOM peace keeping force that is shoring up the teetering Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in Somalia
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.

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