Ugandan Opposition leader Kizza Besigye has been charged with alleged treachery.
Ugandan military prosecutors on Monday 13th January 2025 added a charge of ‘treachery’ to the case of Besigye.
Previously the Opposition leader had been detained in Kenya in November.
Photo: Courtesy
After being brought to his home in Uganda, he was charged with illegal possession of firearms.
He was therefore detained and charged together with an aide, Obeid Lutale at prison in the capital Kampala since then.
Martha Karua, a Kenya lawyer was among Besigye’s legal team who was first denied the law certificate to defend him but was later granted in January 2025.
During a court hearing on Monday, the military prosecutor charged Besigye and Obeid with new charge of ‘treachery’.
According to reports, Besigye and his co-accused possessed intelligence about a plot to undermine national security but ‘consciously withheld the information from the proper authorities’.
Besigye’s lawyer protested about the extra charge saying that criminal trial procedures had been violated and also the detention of prominent human rights lawyer Eron Kiiza who is part of Besigye’s defense team.
Kiiza was sentenced to 9 months in prison on January 7th at Besigye’s court appearance for alleged contempt of court over an altercation with court orderlies.
With this among others, the human rights Activists have reportedly accused Museveni’s government of widespread human rights abuse, including torture and arbitrary detention.
The government has repeatedly denied the allegations of election fraud and rights abuses.
