Do not take people living with drug dependency to court, Ugandan CSOs urge government

A section of civil society organisations (CSOs) have asked the government to stop the arraignment of drug addicts in court.

The Uganda Harm Reduction Network (UHRN), an organisation that provides treatment and care for people affected by drugs, says such repressive actions have proven to be counterproductive.

UHRN adds that such actions contravene international standards on human rights and public health.

“The suspects in drug cases are subject to violence or torture by the police. The hostile legal environment drives both brutal human rights violations and epidemics of HIV, TB and viral hepatitis among people who use drugs in Uganda,” Mr Twaibu Wamala, the UHRN executive director, said yesterday.

The Global Drug Policy Index that came out in November 2021 shows that Brazil keeps Uganda off the basement when it comes to poor drug policies and their implementation.

The index serves as a tool for accountability and evaluation in the field of drug policy.

Many African countries fared poorly on the index because their policies do not align with the UN principles of human rights, health, and development.