Dr. Kizza Besigye, an opposition politician currently imprisoned, and his co-accused, Hajji Obeid Lutale, have filed a new petition with the High Court seeking to suspend the criminal proceedings against them, citing alleged serious violations of their constitutional rights.
Accused of treason and failure to report treason, the two men argue that the circumstances surrounding their arrest, detention and prosecution violated their constitutional right to a fair trial.
According to them, their prosecutions were tainted by what they describe as unlawful abduction, torture, prolonged detention and prejudicial public statements allegedly made by the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
They are demanding that it be declared that their alleged abduction in Nairobi, Kenya, on November 16, 2024, by Ugandan army officers was illegal and that the subsequent criminal proceedings be rendered legally untenable.
The court documents cite several posts allegedly made on the social media platform X, including one dated January 16, 2025, stating: "We will hang KB on Heroes' Day. It's the best day for him to die."
The applicants argue that these statements constitute a public presumption of guilt, threats of extrajudicial punishment, psychological torture, and interference with judicial independence.
