Former UN Judge Jailed in UK for Enslaving Fellow Ugandan
In a landmark judgment, a United Kingdom court has sentenced Lydia Mugambe, a 50-year-old Ugandan national and former judge at a United Nations criminal tribunal, to six years and four months in prison for modern slavery offences.
The court found that Mugambe had enslaved a fellow Ugandan woman, forcing her to work without pay while she pursued a doctoral degree in law at the University of Oxford.
According to the court proceedings, the victim was compelled to perform domestic duties and provide unpaid childcare services at Mugambe’s residence in Oxfordshire, southeastern England.
In accordance with UK legislation, victims of modern slavery are granted lifelong anonymity; therefore, the identity of the victim remains undisclosed.
Mugambe was convicted on four counts under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act, including charges of arranging or facilitating travel for the purpose of exploitation and imposing forced or compulsory labour.
The conviction has sent shockwaves through the international legal community, given Mugambe’s previous role in upholding justice at the international level.
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