Opposition leaders have issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the government, demanding the immediate release of Dr. Kizza Besigye and all other political prisoners.
The announcement was made during a joint press briefing at the National Unity Platform (NUP) headquarters in Makerere-Kavule, with prominent opposition leaders standing in solidarity.
Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate, was abducted by Ugandan security forces in Kenya last November and was paraded before the General Court Martial, where he was charged with illegal possession of a firearm.
On January 31, the Supreme Court ruled that it was illegal for civilians to be tried in military courts and ordered that their cases be transferred to civilian courts.
However, since then, all suspects who were facing trial in military courts are still in detention, including Besigye and his co-accused, Hajji Obedi Lutale.
Besigye’s continued detention has sparked widespread outrage among opposition leaders and the public, who accuse the government of political persecution.
On Monday, key opposition leaders held a joint meeting at the NUP headquarters. The meeting was attended by NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine; Leader of Opposition (LoP) Joel Ssenyonyi; retired Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT); Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) leader Jimmy Akena; People’s Front for National Transformation (PFT) officials led by Erias Lukwago; former LoP Winnie Kiiza; and other civil society activists. They jointly called for urgent action to secure the release of all detained political figures.
“The continued detention of Dr. Kizza Besigye is a clear violation of human rights and a direct assault on democratic freedoms,” said Bobi Wine.
Bobi Wine, who spoke on behalf of the other leaders, said that if the government did not heed their demand, they would announce several actions involving the public.
