A Ugandan court refused to grant bail to veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye on Friday, even though he has been detained for more than the six-month legal limit without trial.
Besigye, who is 69 years old, was taken by armed men in Nairobi last November and reappeared a few days later at a military court in Uganda, where he faced treason charges that could lead to the death penalty.
He previously served as a doctor to President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power in Uganda for almost 40 years, but he later opposed Museveni and has run for the presidency several times.
Under the constitution, he must be released on bail after 180 days if the trial has not started — a deadline which passed this week.
His case was transferred to a civilian court in February after he went on a hunger strike.
Did Uganda’s Court Just Defy the Law? Opposition Leader’s Bail Denied
But earlier this week, lawmakers passed a bill allowing civilians to be tried in military court.
In a packed courtroom on Friday, magistrate Esther Nyadoi opted to examine the prosecution’s case instead of ruling on Besigye’s bail, prompting his lawyers and supporters to walk out in protest.
“I am raising a matter of having no legal representation in this case. Your worship this is a case where our lives are at stake,” Besigye said.
The hearing was adjourned, and his detention was extended until his next appearance on May 29.
Earlier this week, Kenyan foreign minister Musalia Mudavadi admitted, “Kenya cooperated with the Ugandan authorities” in Besigye’s abduction.
In an interview with AFP on Thursday, he said Uganda was Kenya’s largest export market and Nairobi did not want to be seen as “fuelling or antagonising our neighbours”.
Mudavadi did not respond to questions from AFP about the legality of Besigye’s deportation, saying: “Kenya is not on trial.”
