A prominent opposition figure jailed in Uganda for allegedly threatening state security is unwell and in need of urgent medical care.
Four-time presidential candidate Kizza Besigye, who has been in detention since his abduction from Kenya on Nov. 16, is infirm and experiences episodes of hypertension, said Erias Lukwago.
A military tribunal in Kampala has charged Besigye, 68, and an assistant with offenses related to illegal possession of a firearm and threatening national security. Besigye also faces a separate charge of treachery, a crime under military law that carries the death penalty.
The military trial of Besigye has angered his supporters and drawn concern from rights groups. 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.”
Uganda’s Supreme Court ruled last month that civilians can’t be court-martialed, questioning the competence of untrained military officers to dispense justice.
President Yoweri Museveni, an authoritarian leader who has held power since 1986, said he disagreed with the court’s decision and that “the country is not governed by the judges.”
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