A prominent Ugandan lawyer representing detained opposition figure Kizza Besigye has been charged with a treason-related offence, days after his arrest by security forces.
Erias Lukwago, a senior opposition figure and former mayor of Kampala, appeared in court on Wednesday and denied a charge of "misprision of treason", which refers to failing to report alleged treason to the authorities.
He was remanded in custody pending further proceedings.
Lukwago is representing Besigye in an ongoing treason trial and in a separate lawsuit filed against Uganda's military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
The case accuses Kainerugaba of repeatedly threatening Besigye's life on social media.
Kainerugaba is the son of Uganda's long-serving president, Yoweri Museveni, who secured another term in a disputed presidential election in January, extending his nearly four decades in power.
Uganda's leading opposition figure, Bobi Wine, who is currently in exile in the United States, said earlier this week that soldiers had detained Lukwago while he was preparing to serve a court summons on Kainerugaba.
Spokespeople for the Ugandan military and police did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the arrest.
Outside the courtroom on Wednesday, Lukwago's lawyer told journalists that the opposition politician had collapsed while in detention after allegedly being subjected to intense physical drills.
Kainerugaba has become known in Uganda for his provocative social media statements.
Following Lukwago's arrest, he posted on X that he was "proud of ALL the hurt and pain" he would inflict on the opposition lawyer.
He has also previously threatened to hang Besigye and kill Bobi Wine, who left Uganda after the January election.
The arrest and prosecution of Lukwago are likely to intensify concerns among opposition groups and rights advocates over political freedoms and the treatment of government critics in Uganda.
Besigye, a long-time opponent of President Museveni, has repeatedly accused the government of using the judiciary and security services to suppress dissent, allegations that authorities have consistently denied.
The latest developments add to growing tensions between Uganda's government and opposition figures following the country's contentious presidential election and ongoing disputes over political rights and democratic freedoms.
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