A Ugandan magistrates' court charged detained opposition politician Kizza Besigye with treason on Friday, rejecting his lawyer's pleas that he be transferred to hospital to help him recover from ill health stemming from a hunger strike.
The 68-year-old opponent and critic of longtime President Yoweri Museveni appeared in court in the capital Kampala on Friday looking frail and in a wheelchair. He was briefly hospitalised at the weekend and a government minister this week said his health condition was alarming.
His lawyers say he was "kidnapped" in Kenya's capital Nairobi with his aide Obed Lutale in November and returned to Uganda, where they were charged with offences including illegal weapons possession and treachery in a military court.
His wife said on February 12 that he had begun a hunger strike over his detention. His lawyer said on Friday he had now ended it because his case had been transferred to a civilian court following a Supreme Court ruling on January 31 that trying civilians in military courts was unconstitutional.
The magistrates' court issued new charges, of treason and the concealment of treason - what it said were efforts to overthrow the government - but declined to allow Besigye to enter a plea because the offences can only be tried by a higher court.
He did not respond to the earlier charges as he viewed them as illegal.
His continued incarceration has elicited anger among Ugandans and sparked some protests. The 56-member-state Commonwealth has called for his release.
Critics of Museveni, who took power in 1986, say Besigye's detention is the latest example of hardening authoritarianism ahead of an election next year in which the president is expected to stand again.
Officials deny accusations of human rights violations and say those detained are afforded due process through the courts.
Erias Lukwago, one of Besigye's lawyers, urged chief magistrate Esther Nyadoi on Friday to order prison authorities to take Besigye to a hospital for specialised medical care. Nyadoi said her court did not have the authority to grant such a request.
Azerbaijan is an active member of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO), and hosting the 17th ECO Summit in the country highlights its growing r...
A delegation from Azerbaijan, led by MP Qaya Məmmədov, took part in the annual session of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe Pa...
Chinese scientists have unveiled PlantGPT, the first large language model-based artificial intelligence designed specifically for plant functional gen...
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has reached a critical level and called fo...
Thick smoke and flames rose over Mogadishu airport on Wednesday after a Ugandan military helicopter crash landed during a peacekeeping mission, leaving several crew members unaccounted for.
After weeks of no new infections, Uganda has officially brought its latest battle against the deadly ebola virus to a close, authorities announced on Saturday.
Uganda’s military claims to have killed 242 CODECO rebels after they attacked a Ugandan military camp in eastern Congo. The group disputes the death toll, with differing casualty reports emerging.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s Tokara Islands on Wednesday, with no tsunami warning issued but residents advised to remain vigilant.
The United States has rescinded licensing restrictions on ethane exports to China, allowing shipments to resume after a temporary halt and signalling progress in efforts to ease recent trade tensions.
The European Commission is set to propose allowing carbon credits from other countries to count towards the EU’s 2040 climate target, according to a leaked internal document.
China has ramped up efforts to protect communities impacted by flood control measures, introducing stronger compensation policies and direct aid from the central government.
At least seven people remain missing following a massive explosion at a fireworks warehouse in the town of Esparto, Northern California, according to a report by NBC News citing local officials.
A delegation from Azerbaijan, led by MP Qaya Məmmədov, took part in the annual session of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), held from 28 June to 3 July in Porto, Portugal.
Chinese scientists have unveiled PlantGPT, the first large language model-based artificial intelligence designed specifically for plant functional genomics.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has reached a critical level and called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire. He emphasised that vital infrastructure is on the verge of collapse due to a severe fuel shortage.
The US House of Representatives approved a significant tax-cut and spending bill on Thursday, passing it by a narrow margin of 218 to 214. The legislation has now been sent to President Donald Trump for his signature.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment