Ugandan military prosecutors have added a charge of "treachery" to the allegations against prominent opposition leader Kiiza Besigye. The new charge, which carries the death penalty, was presented in court on Monday.
Besigye, a long-time critic of President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for nearly four decades, was detained in Kenya in November before being brought back to Uganda. He was initially charged with illegal possession of firearms and undermining national security in a military court, despite being a civilian. He and his aide, Obeid Lutale, have been in custody in Kampala since their arrest.
Besigye's wife, Winnie Byanyima, who serves as the executive director of UNAIDS, has dismissed the charges as politically motivated. His lawyers have also termed them baseless.
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During the hearing, the military prosecutor accused Besigye and Lutale of withholding intelligence about a plot to undermine national security, according to a charge sheet reviewed by Reuters. Besigye's legal team objected to the additional charge, arguing it violated procedural rules.
They also protested the detention of Eron Kiiza, a prominent human rights lawyer on Besigye's defense team, who was sentenced to nine months in prison for alleged contempt of court during a prior hearing on January 7. Amnesty International has condemned Kiiza’s imprisonment as “outrageous” and called for his immediate release.
Besigye, a former ally and personal physician of Museveni, fell out with the president and has run unsuccessfully against him in four presidential elections. Besigye has rejected the results of each election, citing irregularities.
Human rights groups have repeatedly accused Museveni’s government of abuses, including torture and arbitrary detentions, which the administration denies.
