Appeal in cyber harassment case underway

The High Court in Kololo has begun hearing Stella Nyanzi’s appeal against her conviction and sentence in a high-profile cyber harassment case. Nyanzi was arrested in 2017 for defaming President Yoweri Museveni in a Facebook post, notes Legalbrief. The incident sparked an international outcry, with human rights groups condemning the act as a violation of academic freedom and freedom of expression. In August 2019, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison for violating the Computer Misuse Act. New Vision reports that her lawyer Isaac Semakadde says some of the witnesses in the trial ‘lacked competence in interpreting the cyber laws’. The prosecution is represented by two senior state attorneys, Timothy Amerit and Janat Kitimbo. Amnesty International has called for Uganda to drop the 'absurd’ case.