Uganda - Committee Against Torture (LOIPR) - Death Penalty - August 2025
Country: Uganda
Partners: World Coalition Against the Death Penalty
Issues: Death Penalty
Mechanism: UN Committee Against Torture
Report Type: List of Issues Prior to Reporting
This report addresses Uganda's compliance with its international human rights obligations with respect to the death penalty and provides an update to the coauthors' 2022 Report to the Committee on Uganda's Compliance with the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in the context of Uganda's laws, policies, and customs concerning the death penalty. This report examines significant challenges Uganda faces in upholding its obligations under the Torture Convention, particularly regarding the death penalty, torture, execution of the writ of habeas corpus, gender-based violence, and legal aid.
Uganda has recently expanded the use of military courts to try civilians, in direct contravention of constitutional and international human rights standards. The Uganda People's Defence Forces (Amendment) Act, which expands military jurisdiction over civilians, and the continued detention of opposition figures in unauthorized facilities, highlight the dissolution of judicial safeguards such as habeas corpus and fair trial rights.
Conditions of detention in Uganda remain dire, with severe overcrowding, inadequate healthcare, and inhumane treatment. The majority of people in detention are awaiting trial, often for many years. Reports of torture, denial of medical care, and deaths due to poor prison conditions are widespread
Uganda's legislative developments, such as the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023, have perpetuated discriminatory practices and expanded the scope of capital offenses.
Legal aid remains inaccessible for many Ugandans, and authorities have failed to enact a
national legal aid policy and bill, citing budgetary constraints.
