Ugandan Opposition Leader Besigye Hospitalized in Critical Condition

Veteran Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has been moved from prison to a hospital, with his wife describing him as "very weak."

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He is still very weak. He has difficulty walking, speaking, writing, and even holding something firmly.

Winnie Byanyima, Besigye's wife and Executive Director of UNAIDS, reported that her husband was taken from the maximum-security Luzira prison in Kampala to the Joint Clinical Research Centre. She stated he has difficulty walking, speaking, and holding objects firmly.

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I only ask for one thing: that I be allowed to take him to Geneva so that he receives adequate medical attention, surrounded by his family.

Byanyima has appealed for Besigye to be transferred to Geneva for proper medical care, emphasizing his history of over 50 arrests and numerous court cases, asserting he has never evaded justice. She questioned the repeated transfers of a sick man and the denial of family care, calling the situation "persecution, not justice."

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He has been arrested more than 50 times. He has faced numerous cases. He has never evaded justice.

This transfer follows a previous incident in July where Besigye collapsed and was admitted to intensive care after fainting during the opening of his treason trial. His supporters have previously raised concerns about his deteriorating health in prison, with Byanyima alleging deliberate restriction of medical attention. The government accuses Besigye of plotting to overthrow President Yoweri Museveni's administration.

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Why move a sick man from one place to another? Why deny him the care of his family? Why put on trial a man too sick to defend himself? He needs medical attention, not cruelty. This is not justice. It is persecution.