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.
President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies...
Morocco booked their place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a convincing 3-0 victory over Canada, ending the co-host's historic run in the tourna...
Kyrgyzstan’s ex-second in command, Kamchybek Tashiev, has been convicted of plotting to overthrow the country’s President Sadyr Japarov. Tashiev a...
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported...
Uzbekistan will open an embassy in Georgia, the Central Asian country’s presidency has said. The announcement follows talks between Uzbekistan’s P...
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.
Uganda’s health ministry has raised concerns over what it described as unfair travel restrictions imposed during the current Ebola outbreak, warning that such measures risk undermining transparent reporting. .
Finance ministers across East Africa unveiled their 2026/27 budgets on Thursday, as investors assessed how governments plan to protect their economies from shocks linked to the ongoing Iran war while managing rising debt levels.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing another Ebola outbreak nearly five decades after the virus was first identified near the Ebola River in 1976.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Germany has requested urgent talks with China's ambassador following reports that Chinese authorities trained Russian soldiers, adding fresh strain to relations between Beijing and Europe amid the war in Ukraine.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to use next week's NATO summit in Ankara to advance his push for greater European responsibility in security, with a bilateral meeting planned with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as Paris seeks closer coordination with key allies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 4 July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment