Ugandan opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, is reportedly in poor health while in detention and requires specialized medical attention that prison authorities are unable to provide, his lawyer said on Thursday.
Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate, has been in custody since November 16 after being taken from Kenya. His lawyer, Erias Lukwago, revealed that the 68-year-old politician is experiencing health complications, including hypertension.
Besigye is on trial in a military court in Kampala on charges of illegal possession of weapons and endangering national security. He has also been charged with treason, a military offence that carries the death penalty. Lukwago, who visited him in a maximum security prison, said the prison’s healthcare system was not equipped to provide the care Besigye needed.
Supporters Express Outrage
Besigye’s trial has sparked outrage among his supporters and drawn criticism from human rights organizations. Amnesty International has condemned his detention, describing it as a violation of international human rights law and due process.
The legality of trying civilians in military courts has also come under scrutiny. Uganda’s Supreme Court recently ruled that such trials are unconstitutional, arguing that military officers lack the necessary legal expertise to deliver justice. However, the government refused the ruling, insisting that judicial decisions should not dictate governance.
Lukwago and other activists are pushing for Besigye’s release based on the court ruling, but prison authorities claim they have received no directive to free him.
Conflicting Reports on Hunger Strike
Besigye’s wife and UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima claimed that her husband is on hunger strike to protest his arrest. Prison authorities deny this.
Besigye has been arrested several times during his political career but has never been convicted of a crime. His case is being closely watched amid political uncertainty ahead of next year’s Ugandan presidential elections. With Museveni expected to run for re-election, some analysts predict he could resign, leaving an uncertain succession to the ruling National Resistance Movement party.
A former military officer and doctor, Besigye was once a close ally of Museveni, serving as his personal physician and military assistant before becoming one of his fiercest critics.