A U.N. judge from Uganda was convicted by a British jury of forcing a woman to work as a slave.
Lydia Mugambe, who was appointed as a U.N. judge of the mechanism in 2023, allegedly tricked another Ugandan woman to come to the United Kingdom and work for her as a maid and child care worker, according to prosecutors per the Associated Press.
Prosecutors alleged Mugambe, 49, “exploited and abused” the victim and took advantage of the victim’s lack of understanding of her rights. They also alleged the U.N judge took the victim’s visa and passport away from her once they arrived in the United Kingdom. The victim was able to notify police after seeking help from a friend.
The Guardian reported that footage of Mugambe’s arrest showed her suggesting she had “immunity,” noting that she was a judge in Uganda and claiming she was not a criminal.
Mugambe reportedly denied the allegations that she forced the victim to do chores and said she always treated her with love and care.
Mugambe was found guilty on charges of conspiring to facilitate the commission of a breach of U.K. immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness, according to the BBC.
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Mugambe is scheduled to be sentenced for her guilty conviction on May 2.
She was doctoral researcher in law at Oxford University when the alleged crimes occurred. The Washington Free Beacon reported Mugambe was previously a fellow at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights.