Besigye charged and remanded to Luzira
The General Court Martial sitting in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, has remanded opposition leader Col.(rtd) Kizza Besigye to Luzira Prison following controversial charges against him. Besigye appeared in court presided over by Brig. Gen. Robert Freeman Mugabe and was charged with endangering the security of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) under the UPDF Act.
According to his wife, Winnie Byanyima, Besigye was reportedly kidnapped while in Nairobi, Kenya as he attended the launch of Kenyan Opposition figure Martha Karua’s book. His detention was only revealed late Tuesday. This resulted into increased activity by Ugandan security forces including a failed press briefing by the Defence spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Felix Kulayigye.
The military court heard allegations that Besigye alongside his friend Hajj Obed Lutale and others still at large held meetings in Geneva (Switzerland), (Greece) Athens, and (Kenya) Nairobi to solicit logistical support and identify military targets in Uganda potentially threatening UPDF security.
Additionally, the court claimed that on November 16, Besigye and Lutale were found in possession of two pistols and eight rounds of ammunition, weapons typically restricted to the Defence Forces.
Besigye’s lawyer, Erias Lukwago, contested the court’s jurisdiction to handle the matter, arguing that the alleged offenses occurred outside Uganda. He asserted that such acts do not constitute violations under the UPDF Act. He emphasized that the court lacked universal jurisdiction.
After considering Lukwago’s arguments, Gen. Mugabe adjourned proceedings until December 2 for further mention.
Besigye’s arrest follows the earlier abduction of 36 activists associated with the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in Kenya, who were later charged with treason-related offenses.
