Prominent Ugandan opposition leader and former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye, who disappeared last week in neighboring Kenya, reappeared on Wednesday in a Ugandan military court, where he was charged with security-related offenses.
According to his wife, Winnie Byanyima, Besigye was reportedly "kidnapped" on Saturday while attending a book launch in Nairobi, Kenya, hosted by a Kenyan politician. Byanyima, who serves as the executive director of UNAIDS, criticized the circumstances surrounding his detention, stating that he was being held in a military jail in Kampala without access to his family or legal counsel.
“He is not a soldier. Why is he being held in a military jail?” Byanyima questioned on social media, expressing her outrage over the situation.
Besigye appeared in court flanked by security personnel, flashing his signature V-sign for victory. Alongside his associate, Haji Obeid Lutale, he was remanded to prison pending trial. The charges against them include unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
Ugandan authorities allege that Besigye, Lutale, and unidentified accomplices held meetings in Switzerland, Greece, and Kenya over the past year, aiming to solicit logistical support and identify military targets in Uganda. The government claims these activities were intended to compromise the country’s defense forces.
Both Besigye and Lutale have denied the accusations.
Kizza Besigye has long been a vocal critic of President Yoweri Museveni’s administration and has faced multiple arrests in the past. His detention in a military facility has drawn criticism from human rights advocates, who argue that such actions signal continued political repression in Uganda.
The international community is closely monitoring the situation, given Besigye’s prominence as a pro-democracy advocate and the implications for Uganda’s political climate.
.png)
No comments:
Post a Comment