People with disabilities to file a case against IGP at High Court

Morogoro. Heads of organisations of people with disabilities meeting here intends to file a case against the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Simon Sirro and the Dar es Salaam regional authorities in connection with humiliation their colleagues faced in the hands of law enforcers in Dar es Salaam last Friday.

Police manhandled and clobbered some of disabled people as they were gathering for peaceful demonstration at the City Centre on grounds that their gathering had no blessings from the authorities.

The joint declaration was made here today at the workshop on regional and international human rights mechanism to Human rights defenders working on the rights of the people with disabilities.

The leaders also plan to forward the issue to the United Nations to sue the government for the failure to protect the rights of people with disabilities.

They have also requested the President to monitor establishment of regional committees of people with disabilities.

Reading the declaration, an independent advocate from Disabled Organisation for Legal Affairs and Social Economic Development (DOLASED), Mr Gideon Mendes, said it was important for those who have been affected by last Friday incident to take legal action.

He went further advising that it would be prudent if they file a case against the IGP because his people were involved in humiliating them.

Mr Mendes also advised each region to establish a committee dealing with people with disability which will work to fight against humiliations.

In her contribution, MS Stella Jailos, the Voice of Women with Disabilities Secretary, said the incident must be dealt with effectively by taking actions against people involved.

“We would like to know how the IGP has considered this matter— because those people were not criminals. They only wanted reconciliation to resolve their long complains,” she said adding: “Is he going to apologise, or what is he going to tell us –because those who acted are his people.”

Ms Jailos also said President John Magufuli has done a lot of excellent things in his very short time at State House and everybody is praising him, but such incidents would tarnish his record if he doesn’t take stern actions now.

Mr John Paul Mlabu, Chairperson for National association of People with Disabilities (Chawata) asked the President not to promote police who had committed such offences.