Africa-Press – Uganda. The High Court in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, has begun the first session of the trial of veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye on charges of treason, amid allegations from the defense team of violations of fair trial guarantees. The defense stated that authorities forcibly took him from his cell to the courtroom.
Besigye faces charges of conspiracy to overthrow the Ugandan government by force and has been imprisoned since his abduction in Kenya in 2024. After months of preliminary hearings, the court has started to hear witnesses in what is considered one of the most significant political trials in the country.
One of Besigye’s lawyers stated that his client was forcibly removed from his cell to be brought to court, describing the situation as “unprecedented.” This occurred after several members of the defense team announced their boycott of the trial, asserting that they could no longer perform their duties under what they described as a lack of conditions for a fair trial.
The defense team explained that their decision came after the detention of prominent lawyer Elias Lukwago, in addition to the barring of Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua from entering Uganda, arguing that these actions weakened their ability to represent their client independently.
In response, the court decided to appoint public defenders to represent Besigye; however, the defense confirmed that the opposition leader rejects any legal representation imposed by the state and insists on defending himself or through his chosen legal team.
Besigye’s lawyers also stated that they are facing continuous threats, while supporters of the opposition leader accused the judiciary of attempting to expedite the trial proceedings, expressing concerns that a verdict could be reached before the end of July, which they viewed as an indication of a potentially rushed trial.
Additionally, several journalists who attended the session reported that authorities prevented them from using mobile phones inside the courthouse, complicating the media coverage of the first session of the trial, which is being closely followed both within Uganda and abroad.
