Defender of terrorism suspects scoops Jurist of the Year Award

The 2014 Jurist of the Year Award has been given to human rights lawyer Mbugua Mureithi for his role in promoting human rights and defence of people suspected of involvement in terrorism.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) recognised the lawyer for his pioneering work in defending human rights and especially in handling sensitive terrorist cases, some involving people suspected of being senior terrorist leaders.

“Mr Mbugua has tirelessly condemned security operations that were themselves criminal in nature such as kidnappings, enforced disappearances and extra-judicial execution of suspects. According to him, such operations alienated individuals and communities that were otherwise valuable partners with the security agents in combating terror,” the citation read.

Among the cases that the lawyer has handled include that of slain Muslim radical clerics Sheikh Aboud Rogo and Sheikh Abubaker Shariff Ahmed alias Makaburi. He is also defending one of the suspects in the Pangani police station blasts.

Makaburi was shot dead a few hours after he had been in contact with Mbugua and given him instructions on his case.

“We had just spoken, only for me to receive information that he had been shot dead. I cannot say if he was a good man, but he should have been given a chance to defend himself before a court of law,” the lawyer told the Standard at his Upper Hill offices.

We caught up the lawyer on the day that the National Assembly was discussing the controversial Security Laws (Amendment) Bill, which he was quick to denounce.

“My view is that the bill is a wrong and completely a misconceived idea in dealing with insecurity in the country,” said Mbugua.

Mbugua’s knack for taking up terrorism related cases has won him admirers but also landed him in trouble with the authorities. He has severally been accused of being a terrorist sympathiser and was among a group of people who spent several nights in cold cells in Kampala, Uganda for representing families of people held on allegations of involvement in the 11 July terrorist bombings.

 CONSCIENCE TROUBLED

Mbugua was held together with the Executive Director of Muslims for Human Rights Al Amin Kimathi before being released following pressure from human rights organisaitons.

The lawyer was quick to deny any links with terrorist organisations and said his work goes beyond defending terrorism suspects.

“I came into counter-terrorism before a single Al-Shaabab attack had taken place in this country. I have sued the Kenya government on various matters not directly related to terrorism. In any case, lawyers are not priests. We don’t represent good people. We represent people who are in trouble with the law,” he said. This was the same point that Mbugua sought to emphasise in his speech during the award ceremony held on 11 December.

“The fact that I represent terror suspects does not mean I am a supporter or sympathiser of terrorism. Every terror related case I take always troubles my conscience. However, I also remind myself of the oath we take on admission to the Roll of Advocates, to execute our professional duties as advocates without fear, favour or ill will, and the constitutional ideal that every person is entitled to counsel – even the scam of the earth,” he told the audience.

“May I put it to you that the police did not kill any terrorist? In my own view, you are placing your own terrorists in the mall,” said Mureithi while cross-examining Nairobi Deputy County Commander Moses Ombati during the trial of one of the Westgate suspects.

Mbugua’s first work as a human rights practitioner began in 2007 when he was called upon to present a paper at a workshop organised by the Kenya Human Rights Commission and the Muslim Human Rights Forum.