A military tribunal in Uganda has convicted 16 members of the opposition National Unity Platform for “illegal possession of explosive devices and treachery.” The ruling, announced on Monday, has raised concerns regarding the fairness of the trial, according to a defense attorney.
The prosecution claimed that the accused were found in possession of explosives during the election period from November 2020 to May 2021, along with other individuals who remain at large.
Defense attorney Shamim Malende criticized the circumstances surrounding the defendants’ guilty pleas, noting that they had previously denied the charges.
Prominent opposition leader Bobi Wine, known as Robert Kyagulanyi, alleged that the group had been coerced into pleading guilty in exchange for a potential presidential pardon.
Access for journalists to the tribunal session was restricted, and the 16 individuals have spent four years in custody. They are scheduled to return to court on Wednesday for sentencing.
Since 1986, Yoweri Museveni has led Uganda, and the last presidential election in 2021 was marred by allegations of fraud. Police responses to protests following another arrest of Bobi Wine resulted in at least 54 deaths.
Bobi Wine asserted that “one day, those involved in Museveni’s government, including himself, will be held accountable,” claiming that the accused had been pressured by state agents into their guilty pleas.