Detaining a John Madol Panther incommunicado is illegal
By Daniel Juol Nhomngek, Kampala, Uganda
March 1, 2017 (SSB) —- I have received the news that John Madol Panther has been taken away to the unknown direction and his whereabouts is not yet clear.
If that news is true, then I appeal to whoever is behind his arrest to produce in Court because it is against his personal liberty and human rights. If Gok State Government is the one which ordered his arrest then it has done it illegal and Madol must either be brought to court to be officially charged or released with immediate effect.
Gok State Government needs to develop democratic system where people are free to criticize their governments. Democracy helps in the promotion the rule of law. This is why democracy is considered to be the bedrock of the rule of law which means that if Gok State needs to have rule of law there must be an independent judiciary, judges who can make decisions independent of the political winds that are blowing.
It is not within the jurisdiction of National security of South Sudan to arrest every individual who criticizes the government even the State Government. The role of national security is not to control the freedom of speech and expression but to protect the nation against the security threat like that of rebels.
It is therefore, not appropriate to arrest someone that he or she has criticized the government, instead the government must do what the people want it to do and what gives people ground to criticize the government.
It is important to observe the principles of justice, liberty and prosperity that we were fighting for against North. What the State government and national government must understand is that justice is never given; it is exacted and the struggle must be continuous for freedom is never a final fact, but a continuing evolving process to higher and higher levels of human, social, economic, political and religious relationship (A. Philip Randolph Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/political.html).
John Madol Panther has not committed any crime because to criticize a government is not a crime, therefore, detaining him in incommunicado is illegal and against his personal liberty and I again call upon the government of Gok State or who is responsible for his detention to release him.
The writer is a lawyer residing in Uganda and can be reached through; juoldaniel@yahoo.com
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