A Ugandan military court has extended the detention of opposition leader Kizza Besigye until January of next year.
Besigye’s legal team sought a brief postponement; however, the court, led by Judge Marial, favored the state’s request for a more extended recess.
He faces charges of jeopardizing national security and subversion alongside his associate Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya. Their abduction by Ugandan intelligence from Nairobi in November sparked significant public outcry.
The two will appear in court again for a case mention on January 7, 2025. Besigye’s lawyers have contested the legitimacy of his trial in the military tribunal and have declined to seek bail in this forum. A medical doctor by profession, Besigye is also a former officer in the Ugandan army.
“This is clearly a sham court,” remarked Erias Lukwago, one of Besigye’s attorneys, during a press briefing following the adjournment.
Lukwago further stated, “These proceedings do not reflect those of a legitimate court of law.”
Under Ugandan law, civilians are not supposed to be tried in military courts. Nevertheless, the Ugandan government has exploited the delay to uphold a Constitutional Court ruling that allows the continued prosecution of President Yoweri Museveni’s adversaries in military tribunals.
Besigye has run for the presidency four times, each time losing controversially to Museveni.
