The Ugandan government has announced it will transfer the case of prominent opposition leader Kizza Besigye from a military court to a civilian court, citing his deteriorating health, Al Jazeera reports.
Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi made the announcement late Sunday, following reports that Besigye, who is on hunger strike, had been temporarily moved to a medical clinic.
Besigye, a long-time critic of President Yoweri Museveni, has been detained in Luzira Maximum Security Prison in Kampala since November. He faces charges of illegal firearm possession and threatening state security. His lawyers claim he was “kidnapped” in neighboring Kenya and forcibly brought to Uganda, allegations that have drawn condemnation from rights groups and opposition lawmakers. Amnesty International has described Besigye’s detention as a “travesty of justice.”
Minister Baryomunsi visited Besigye in prison to urge him to end his hunger strike, which he began last week to protest his “illegal detention.” Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, criticized the visit as “highly suspicious,” accusing the government of being responsible for his well-being.
Public concern over Besigye’s detention intensified after his frail appearance in court on Friday. On Sunday, he was reportedly rushed to a health clinic in Kampala in a wheelchair.
Besigye has been arrested numerous times, including in 2022 on charges of inciting violence. He has run for president four times against Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986. He lost all the elections, alleging fraud and voter intimidation.
The government’s decision to transfer the case comes after it had previously indicated it would disregard a Supreme Court ruling that trying Besigye in a military court would be unconstitutional.
Museveni’s government has faced repeated accusations of human rights violations against opposition leaders and supporters, including illegal detentions, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
