On 12 February 2026 at Buganda Road Magistrate’s Court, the case of the female Anti-EACOP activists came up for hearing of their defence. The activists had expected only a short adjournment, especially after being denied bail on the assurance that their case would be treated as a priority and heard expeditiously. However, to everyone’s shock, the matter was adjourned again to 27 February 2026, and the court indicated that judgment would not be ready, but the case would only come up for mention on that day.
It should be noted that these activists were arrested on 1 August 2025 and have now spent over six months in prison for simply exercising their constitutional rights while delivering a petition to . The petition called on the bank to withdraw financial support from the EACOP project due to serious environmental and human rights concerns.
The continued delays and prolonged detention raise serious concerns and create a clear impression of intimidation intended to silence activists who are speaking out on critical issues related to oil development in Uganda.
We therefore call upon the judiciary to uphold its constitutional obligation of impartiality, ensure a fair and speedy hearing, and put an end to what amounts to judicial harassment of environmental defenders.
Justice delayed is justice denied.
#FreeTheActivists #StopJudicialHarassment #EnvironmentalJustice
