A United Nations (UN) judge has been found guilty in Britain of enslaving a Ugandan woman while pursuing her PhD at Oxford University.
Lydia Mugambe, appointed in 2023 to the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, was convicted on Thursday for luring the young woman to the UK under false pretenses and forcing her to work without pay. Prosecutors described her actions as an abuse of power, exploiting the victim’s naivety for personal gain.
Mugambe was charged under the UK’s modern slavery laws, alongside former Ugandan Deputy High Commissioner John Leonard Mugerwa, who was not on trial. Authorities allege they provided false information to secure the victim’s entry into Britain, claiming she would work at the Ugandan High Commission.
She was also found guilty of facilitating travel for exploitation, forced labor, and witness intimidation. Despite denying the charges, the court convicted her on all counts. She will be sentenced at a later date.
Neither Uganda’s High Commission in London nor the UN tribunal has commented on the conviction.