Court Rejects Besigye Bid to Halt Treason Trial, Hearing Set for July 13

Dr. Kizza Besigye and Hajji Obeid Lutale faced another legal setback as the High Court's Criminal Division dismissed their application to terminate treason proceedings against them. Judge Emmanuel Baguma ruled that their request to be freed due to alleged constitutional rights violations was incompetent and an abuse of court process, intended to delay the main trial.

The applicants had sought to nullify the treason charges, asserting that their right to a fair trial was irreparably compromised. They claimed they were unlawfully abducted from Nairobi, Kenya, by Ugandan security operatives and forcibly returned without due process. Furthermore, they alleged being held incommunicado at Makindye Military Barracks, denied legal and medical access, and held beyond the constitutional 48-hour limit before court appearance.

Besigye also accused the Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, of making public statements that threatened him and prejudged his case, thereby undermining his right to a fair hearing. The respondents, including Kainerugaba and other military officials, along with the Attorney General, denied these allegations.

In their defense, the respondents maintained that Ugandan security agencies did not abduct or arrest Besigye and Lutale in Nairobi. They also refuted claims that the named UPDF officers were involved in the arrest. The state argued that the applicants were informed of the reasons for their arrest, had legal and medical access, and that the treason charges were substantiated by evidence and law. Justice Baguma concurred with the respondents, finding that the applicants failed to provide credible evidence to support their claims.