Summary:
FDC members had planned to meet to discuss the continued detention of Dr. Kizza Besigye, the party’s founder and a native of the area.
RUKUNGIRI: The Rukungiri District offices of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) have been locked and surrounded by security forces, including UPDF and Uganda Police officers.
FDC members had planned to meet to discuss the continued detention of Dr. Kizza Besigye, the party’s founder and a native of the area.
Dr. Besigye remains in custody alongside his aide, Hajj Obeid Lutale, following the government’s delay in implementing the January 31 Supreme Court ruling that halted the trial of civilians in military courts.
The two were abducted in Nairobi, Kenya, last November and charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. They were later accused of treachery in the General Court Martial.
On Wednesday, Dr. Besigye and Lutale were returned under tight security to Luzira Maximum Security Prison after their habeas corpus hearing at the High Court in Kampala. Presiding over the case, Justice Douglas Singiza reviewed an application filed by Besigye’s legal team on February 5, seeking an explanation from the Attorney General and the Commissioner General of Prisons regarding their continued detention.
During the proceedings, Justice Singiza expressed concern over Besigye’s reported illness, stating he could not proceed with the case while a sick individual was present.
“This is an administrative order. If a prisoner is sick, I cannot continue with the hearing. He might faint,” Justice Singiza remarked.
Consequently, he ordered that Besigye and Lutale be taken back to prison instead of remaining in court.
Meanwhile, state attorneys defended their continued detention, arguing that the two remain in lawful custody as their case has been transferred to civilian courts. They contended that the Supreme Court’s ruling did not explicitly order their release.
This position directly opposes the defense’s argument that, since the military trial of civilians has been deemed illegal, Besigye and Lutale’s continued incarceration amounts to unlawful detention.
Following the court proceedings, heavily armed security personnel swiftly escorted Besigye and Lutale back to prison, preventing them from addressing the press or their supporters.
The High Court is expected to rule on the habeas corpus application in the coming days.
Meanwhile, pressure continues to mount from human rights groups, opposition politicians, and religious leaders demanding Besigye’s immediate release and adherence to the rule of law.
