Umm Sahl: They continue to detain my husband in Uganda without any process

**Aseerun** · 20th October 2010

Omar Awadh Omar

EXCLUSIVE: Umm Sahl writes about the plight of her husband, Omar Awadh Omar, detained unlawfully in Uganda.

Please take action for Omar Awadh Omar here

In April this year, it was a Friday, Abusahl had travelled to Mombasa, I was at home with my two boys, Suhayl (11yrs) and Suhayb (6yrs).

At about 1.30am I heard some sounds coming from my back yard and so I went to the window to see what it was.

I was shocked and went weak on the knees with the sight that I saw.

There were around 50 men armed, in paramilitary uniform in my yard, silently jumping in from the neighbors.

I put on all the lights in the house and went to my front balcony and started screaming for help. Obviously no one would have come out, but it was to alert the neighborhood. They came in through my back door, armed to the teeth with sophisticated weapons, bullet vests and metal detectors and some other specialised equipment.

The armed police came in first and searched the house, ripping the ceiling to see if anyone was hiding on the roof. after making sure there was no one else apart from me and the boys, then they gave way to the Anti-Terror Police Unit that came in and were about 50 as well. They came in and started searching the house and turning it upside down.

They picked stuff from the house and after they had finished at about 5.30am, they then told me that I have to accompany them to the police station to record a statement.

I and my 2 boys were then bundled into a police van, with most of our belongings which they had taken, including my phone, laptops, cameras and various books and DVD's.

When I got to to the police station, we were taken to a room, left there while they laid out my stuff on a long table and started going through it.

Just then I saw 2 people, a lady and gentlemen who were white and were also helping in assessing what had been brought in.

I still hadnt been interrogated or asked anything. Then a police officer from the special crimes unit came and told me that he was the one to record my statement.

I gave him what happened and how they came home and vandalised my house. Then I asked him why they raided my house, he told me because they were looking for guns.

It took me about 3 months to get some of stuff back and some of the stuff is still there. I kept on going on week after week and eventually gave up.

After that incident, my husband has been trailed and monitored and his phone tapped into. His friends who travel to the UK are always being questioned about him.

On September 17th, 2010, he left home and went to the gym in the central business district. He finished and left for Jamia Mosque for Jumuah Prayers at about 11.30am. As he was walking towards the mosque, this car stopped in front of him, huge men jumped out of the car, handcuffed him, shackled him and hooded him and carried him into the car and sped off. This lasted for less than 5 minutes. That was the last we saw of him until after 3 days when we saw him in the news in Uganda being charged with the Kampala 7/11 bombings. The Anti-Terror Police Unit here denied arresting him and handing him over to the Ugandans, and later when Abusahl narrated his incident to the legal counsel,he mentioned that it was the Anti-Terror Police Unit that arrested him, the commamdant is the one who gave the go ahead for him to be taken to Uganda after identifying that it was Omar Awadh Omar.

He was taken to the Rapid Response Unit in Kampala which is the notorious para military outfit used for torture and interrogations by the FBI. He was held there for over 3 weeks with no charges no trials no access to legal counsel. He was being questioned daily by the FBI about his involvement with Al Shabaab, Al Qaeda and issues that my husband has never even heard of.

Recently during one of the mentions in court, the magistrate termed it as illegal to have them held in police custody and they should all be transferred to Luzira Maximum Prison. He has been there, bad conditions, he has a kidney problem which he was operated on in February this year and has recurred due to the food they are served in prison. I have sent his medication and the police have refused him access to it.

On 18th October, the police went against their own law and removed him from Luzira and sent him back to the Rapid Response for more interrogations. There is no trial or no legal process that is being followed farly in terms of my husbands arrest.

I live with my boys and we have been shunned by society, the neighbors look at us suspiciously, my kids are tormented in school by their friends and the environment.

It has been a hard month and we dont even know where we are going or what we need to do. Uganda runs under a paramilitary regime and has no law. That is why the Kenyans were sent there because in Kenya they would have to follow due process.

Cageprisoners : They continue to detain my husband in Uganda without any process