A Ugandan judge on Wednesday denied a request to free opposition leader Kizza Besigye from prison due to health issues, returning the visibly frail government critic to prison.
Besigye, 68, is a major opponent of President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for nearly 40 years and whom he has unsuccessfully challenged four times.
He was abducted in Kenya in November and faces the death penalty on treason accusations in a court martial that his wife, UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima, has termed a “sham.”
The opposition leader walked slowly into a civil court in Kampala, where his lawyers argued for his release so he could receive medical care outside prison.
Judge Douglas Karekona Singiza remanded him in custody alongside two other suspects.
He assured that a decision on Besigye’s demand would be made by February 25.
“I can’t continue working with a prisoner who is sick. “He may faint,” Singiza stated.
Besigye was temporarily hospitalised on Sunday after his health deteriorated as a result of a hunger strike.
Supporters went to the courthouse on Wednesday, yelling and waving posters demanding his release while being observed by a large contingent of police and military.
Byanyima was “devastated but not surprised” by the decision, which she blamed on Museveni.
“Shame on the cadre (pro-government) judge for sending back my husband to jail when his health is deteriorating fast,” she said.
Besigye’s lawyer, Erias Lukwago, told reporters his team would “retreat” and “wait for the court’s decision.”
The United Nations and other human rights organisations have expressed alarm over the suppression of the opposition in Uganda ahead of the presidential elections in 2026.
