Uganda: Authorities must respect court decision and immediately free Kizza Besigye and others

Responding to news that Ugandan opposition politician and former presidential candidate for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) political party, Kizza Besigye, has gone on hunger strike and his health is deteriorating, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, said:

“Ugandan authorities must immediately respect the Supreme Court order, uphold the rule of law and stop trying civilians in military courts. The continued arbitrary detention of Kizza Besigye, FDC member Haji Obeid Lutale and their lawyer Eron Kiiza is an infringement on their rights to personal liberty under Uganda’s Constitution and international human rights law. The trio’s detention has no legal basis. This travesty of justice must stop.

The Supreme Court ordered that “all charges or ongoing criminal trials, or pending trials, before the courts martial involving civilians must immediately cease and be transferred to the ordinary courts of law with complete jurisdiction.” 

“Amnesty International demands the immediate release of Kizza Besigye and Haji Obeid Lutale due to the nature of their abduction and rendition, which clearly violated international human rights law and the process of extradition with its fair trial protections.

“Prison authorities must also release lawyer, Eron Kiiza, who the General Court Martial convicted of “contempt of court” and sentenced to nine months imprisonment without a fair trial. The authorities must stop targeting lawyers simply for doing their job.”

Background

On 16 November, Kizza Besigye and Haji Obeid Lutale were abducted from Nairobi. They resurfaced on 20 November when they were arraigned in General Court Martial in Kampala, Uganda and charged with offences relating to security and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. They were remanded at Luzira Maximum Security Prison in Kampala, Uganda, where they are still detained even after the 31 January 2025 Supreme Court ruling that trying civilians in military courts is unconstitutional. On 5 February 2025, lawyers of Kizza Besigye filed a petition in the High Court in Kampala to have him and Obeid Lutale produced before that court. On 7 February 2025, lawyers for Eron Kiiza, made a similar application for their client in the same court.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.