Uganda: Lawyers to appeal military court’s decision to try opposition leader Besigye for treachery

A military court in Uganda has ruled that a leading opposition figure can stand trial on the serious charge of treachery that is punishable by the death penalty. The move further escalates the legal trouble Kizza Besigye faces in the run-up to 2026 presidential elections.

The 68-year-old Besigye, who has contested the presidency four times, went missing in the Kenyan capital Nairobi in mid-November last year. A couple of days later, he and his co-accused, an assistant named Hajji Obeid Lutale, appeared before the Court Martial in the Ugandan capital Kampala. Besigye was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and with alleged solicitation of military support overseas in order to destabilize Uganda’s national security. Besigye, who has never been convicted of a crime despite having faced arrest many times in his political career, denied the charges levied against him.

Lawyers representing Besigye and Lutale have said they plan to appeal the decision by the Court Martial to try the accused in a military institution, despite both having civilian status. This development comes after a military prosecutor on Monday January 13 amended the charge sheet by including treachery and introducing a third suspect, who is a serving army officer.

President Yoweri Museveni, who has held power in Uganda since 1986, has long been criticized by human rights groups for alleged violations against opposition figures. The UK-based Amnesty International has called for Besigye’s release, while the US-based Human Rights Watch said his trial is “the latest example of Ugandan authorities’ misuse of military courts and military-related charges to clamp down on the opposition”.