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2mo ago

Ugandan Opposition Leader Besigye’s Detention Sparks International Condemnation

Kizza Besigye, a prominent critic of President Museveni, remains in custody despite a Supreme Court ruling against military trials for civilians.

FILE - Ugandan opposition leader and four-time presidential candidate Kizza Besigye, center left, reacts as he arrives at the Makindye Martial Court in Kampala, Uganda, Nov. 20. 2024. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda, File)
Opposition leader Kizza Besigye and Obeid Lutale stand in a steel dock at the Uganda Military General Court Martial in Makindye, a suburb of Kampala, Uganda December 2, 2024. REUTERS Abubaker Lubowa/File Photo
FILE - Ugandan opposition leader and four-time presidential candidate Kizza Besigye, stands in the dock at the Makindye Martial Court in Kampala, Uganda, Nov. 20. 2024. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda, File)
FILE - Opposition politician and then-presidential candidate Kizza Besigye speaks to the media while under house arrest at his home in Kasangati, outside the capital Kampala, in Uganda, Feb. 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

Overview

  • Kizza Besigye, a four-time Ugandan presidential candidate, has been detained since November 2024 and is facing charges of treachery and illegal firearms possession.
  • Uganda's Supreme Court recently ruled military trials for civilians unconstitutional, but Besigye and others remain in custody without transfer to civilian courts.
  • Besigye's health has deteriorated due to a hunger strike protesting his detention, prompting calls for his release from Amnesty International, the Commonwealth, and human rights groups.
  • President Museveni has dismissed concerns about Besigye's health and insists he must face trial for alleged offenses, which critics say are politically motivated.
  • The case has heightened tensions ahead of Uganda's 2026 presidential elections, with concerns over authoritarianism and potential political instability.