Johannesburg – CAGE Africa supports the appeal of Radia Omar, wife of Omar Awadh Omar, who is currently languishing in a Ugandan prison after being renditioned and tortured with the complicity of British and American security services.
“It’s been over 4 years now, since he was kidnapped and renditioned to Uganda,” says Rabia Omar, “The emotional and mental trauma on me and the kids is beyond what words can explain.”
His family are trying to raise funds to cover the legal fees necessary to attempt to secure Omar’s release. A recent constitutional court decision in Uganda, however, denied that Omar was renditioned from Kenya, despite several witnesses testifying to his arrest in a Nairobi Shopping Mall.
Omar was arrested and rounded up among eleven others after a bomb exploded at a restaurant in Kampala in July 2010 during the Soccer World Cup, which claimed 79 lives. However, Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the explosion and Omar insists that interrogators never asked him about it. Authorities told the public that Omar was a leading al-Qaeda member.
Omar was a car dealer based in Nairobi, who volunteered for the Muslim Human Rights Forum. Following the bombings in July 2010 in Kampala, the Kenya Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) arrested several Kenyans and handed them to the Ugandan Rapid Response Unit, notorious for torture and killing, without extradition or other court order. The Muslim Human Rights Forum, among other organisations, condemned these arrests. Omar joined several other activists to advocate for the release of those arrested.
Omar was physically tortured, subjected to mock executions and sexual humiliation. He identified American and British agents among his interrogators. Several of the other eleven arrested men were forced to sign a document saying they were guilty of the bombings.
CAGE Africa has the following statements to make:
“The rendition and torture of Omar Awadh Omar, his treatment in detention at the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) Headquarters at Kireka and on remand in Luzira Upper Prison is in violation of the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, to which both Uganda and Kenya are signatories,” says Feroze Boda, CAGE Africa member. “If local court processes are exhausted, this must be brought to light under the International Criminal Court.”
“CAGE Africa supports the Omar family in its appeal for funds to ensure his case is brought forward.”
Rabia Omar: “Honestly speaking, after the constitutional court ruling, I really don’t know what to expect anymore. Despite the fact that we presented all the evidence that he was kidnapped in Kenya, they still maintained that he was arrested in Malaba [Uganda]. For now, we leave to Allah, and we trust that whatever the outcome is, this is what is best for him and for us, inshaAllah.”
Those interested in making donations can do so directly to Rabia Omar:
Rabia M Omar
CFC Stanbic Bank
Westgate Brance, Nairobi, Kenya
Account number 0100000417957
Branch code 31012
Swift Code SBICKENX
<p><em>Johannesburg</em> – CAGE Africa supports the appeal of Radia Omar, wife of Omar Awadh Omar, who is currently languishing in a Ugandan prison after being renditioned and tortured with the <strong><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/aug/17/torture-suspect-claims-abuse">complicity of British and American security services</a>.</strong></p>
<p>“It’s been over 4 years now, since he was kidnapped and renditioned to Uganda,” says Rabia Omar, “The emotional and mental trauma on me and the kids is beyond what words can explain.”
<div>His family are trying to raise funds to cover the legal fees necessary to attempt to secure Omar’s release. A recent constitutional court decision in Uganda, however, denied that Omar was renditioned from Kenya, despite several witnesses testifying to his arrest in a Nairobi Shopping Mall.</p>
<p>Omar was arrested and rounded up among eleven others after a bomb exploded at a restaurant in Kampala in July 2010 during the Soccer World Cup, which claimed 79 lives. However, Al-Shabaab <strong><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/aug/17/torture-suspect-claims-abuse">claimed responsibility for the explosion</a> </strong>and Omar insists that interrogators never asked him about it. Authorities told the public that Omar was a leading al-Qaeda member.</p>
<p>Omar was a car dealer based in Nairobi, who volunteered for the Muslim Human Rights Forum. Following the bombings in July 2010 in Kampala, the Kenya Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) arrested several Kenyans and handed them to the Ugandan Rapid Response Unit, <strong><a href="http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/03/23/uganda-torture-extortion-killings-police-unit">notorious for torture and killing</a></strong>, without extradition or other court order. The Muslim Human Rights Forum, among other organisations, condemned these arrests. Omar joined several other activists to advocate for the release of those arrested.</p>
<p>Omar was physically tortured, subjected to mock executions and sexual humiliation. He identified <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/aug/17/torture-suspect-claims-abuse"><strong>American and British agents among his interrogators</strong></a>. Several of the other eleven arrested men were forced to sign a document saying they were guilty of the bombings.</p>
<p><strong>CAGE Africa has the following statements to make:</strong></p>
<p>“The rendition and torture of Omar Awadh Omar, his treatment in detention at the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) Headquarters at Kireka and on remand in Luzira Upper Prison is in violation of the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, to which <strong><a href="http://legal.un.org/avl/ha/catcidtp/catcidtp.html">both Uganda and Kenya are signatories</a></strong>,” says <strong>Feroze Boda, CAGE Africa member</strong>. “If local court processes are exhausted, this must be brought to light under the International Criminal Court.”
<div></div>
“CAGE Africa supports the Omar family in its appeal for funds to ensure his case is brought forward.”</p>
<p>Rabia Omar: “Honestly speaking, after the constitutional court ruling, I really don’t know what to expect anymore. Despite the fact that we presented all the evidence that he was kidnapped in Kenya, they still maintained that he was arrested in Malaba [Uganda]. For now, we leave to Allah, and we trust that whatever the outcome is, this is what is best for him and for us, inshaAllah.”</p>
<p>Those interested in making donations can do so directly to Rabia Omar:
<div></div>
<div>Rabia M Omar</div>
<div>CFC Stanbic Bank</div>
<div>Westgate Brance, Nairobi, Kenya</div>
<div>Account number 0100000417957</div>
<div>Branch code 31012</div>
<div>Swift Code SBICKENX</p>
