Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who has been detained since November, will face trial in a civilian court rather than a military tribunal, an official confirmed on Monday. Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate and prominent critic of President Yoweri Museveni, had initially been put before a military tribunal after his mysterious disappearance in Nairobi and subsequent reappearance in a cage in Kampala.
The charges against Besigye, including treachery, carry the death penalty and are widely believed to be politically motivated by his outspoken opposition to Museveni’s rule. The Ugandan Supreme Court ruled last month that civilians should not be tried by military courts, citing concerns about the competency of military personnel in delivering justice.
Besigye, a former colonel in Uganda’s military and a retired physician, has been on hunger strike for days, according to his family, and appeared weak in court last week. He was recently taken to a clinic for treatment from the maximum-security prison where he is held. Besigye’s health and the legal proceedings have sparked increasing calls for his release, highlighting the ongoing tensions between Uganda’s government and opposition factions.
