Ugandan military court rules it can try opposition figure on treachery charge carrying death penalty
Associated PressKAMPALA, Uganda — A prominent opposition figure in Uganda will stand trial on the serious charge of treachery, a military court ruled Tuesday, escalating the legal trouble Kizza Besigye faces ahead of presidential elections scheduled for 2026. Besigye was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and a charge relating to the alleged solicitation of military support overseas in order to destabilize national security. Amnesty International has called for Besigye’s release, saying his “abduction clearly violated international human rights law and the process of extradition with its requisite fair trial protections.” Besigye’s trial is “the latest example of Uganda’s authorities misusing military courts and military-related charges to clamp down on the opposition,” according to Human Rights Watch. Besigye, a qualified physician who retired from Uganda’s military at the rank of colonel, is a former president of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change, or FDC, party.
History of this topic
Ugandan opposition figure appears before a military court at home days after disappearing in Kenya
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Uganda’s Kizza Besigye ‘kidnapped’ in Kenya, taken to military court
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Military Tribunal Convicts 16 Opposition Leaders for Treachery During 2020-21 Elections
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Uganda opposition figure Besigye released on bail after two weeks
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