Catholic lawyers have demanded the immediate release or lawful prosecution of Rev. Fr. Deusdedit Ssekabira, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Masaka, describing his arrest and continued detention as unconstitutional and a violation of fundamental human rights.
In a statement dated December 14 and signed off by the president, the Uganda Catholic Lawyers Society (UCLS) condemned what it described as the abduction, enforced disappearance, and unlawful detention of the cleric by security operatives.
According to the lawyers, Fr. Ssekabira was abducted on December 3, 2025, by armed men travelling in unmarked vehicles, without a warrant, identification, or disclosure of the reasons for his arrest. They said he was subsequently held incommunicado in an ungazetted detention facility.
“For ten days, the priest’s whereabouts were concealed, his family, Diocese and lawyers denied access, amounting to an enforced disappearance expressly prohibited under Uganda’s Constitution and international human-rights law,” the statement reads.
The lawyers noted that on December 13, the Bishop of Masaka, Rt Rev Serverus Jjumba, informed the faithful of the priest’s disappearance and called for prayers. A day later, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) confirmed that Fr Ssekabira was in military custody over alleged involvement in violent subversive activities.
While the acknowledgement of custody ended the period of disappearance, the lawyers argued that it did not cure the alleged illegality of the arrest or detention. UCLS said the manner in which the priest was arrested violated several constitutional provisions, including the right to personal liberty, freedom from torture, the right to a fair hearing, and access to habeas corpus.
“The use of unmarked vehicles, non-identified operatives, secret detention facilities, and delayed disclosure of custody are hallmarks of unconstitutional security practices that undermine the rule of law,” the statement said.
The lawyers further criticised the military detention of a civilian, stressing that civilians should not be subjected to military custody except in narrowly defined circumstances provided for by law.
“Allegations of subversive activities do not suspend constitutional safeguards, and security concerns cannot justify abduction, secrecy, or denial of due process,” UCLS said.
The society called on the UPDF to immediately produce Fr Ssekabira before a competent civilian court, grant him access to lawyers, family, and church authorities, and disclose the legal basis and conditions of his detention.
They also urged the Director of Public Prosecutions to urgently review the matter and either lawfully charge the priest in a civilian court or order his immediate release. UCLS appealed to the Judiciary to remain vigilant in protecting personal liberty, including through the issuance of habeas corpus, and asked the Uganda Human Rights Commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the priest’s arrest and detention.
Parliament was also urged to exercise its oversight role over security agencies, particularly regarding the continued use of ungazetted detention facilities.
“The abduction and secret detention of any Ugandan is not merely an attack on an individual; it is an assault on the Constitution and the rule of law,” the lawyers said, adding that no citizen stands outside the protection of the law.
The UPDF had not immediately responded to the lawyers’ demands by press time. But in an earlier statement, the Acting Director of Defense Public Information, Col. Chris Magezi, reasoned that they picked the prelate on allegations that he was engaged in violent subversive activities against the state.
“Rev Fr Ssekabira is currently in lawful custody to assist with further investigations into the matter. He will be produced in the courts of law and charged accordingly,” Col Magezi wrote.
The 1995 Constitution demands that any person arrested shouldn’t spend more than 48 hours in custody; he/she should either be released on bond or taken to court and formally charged.