A civil division court has ordered that Ugandan opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye to be returned to prison despite his deteriorating health.
Judge Douglas Singiza stated that Besigye was unwell and should be taken back to prison.
“This is an administrative order. If a prisoner is sick, I can’t continue with him, He might faint,” the judge said.
Besigye, who appeared in court on Wednesday, February 19 appeared weak and frail in court.
His aide, Hajj Obeid Lutale, also appeared in court alongside him, but the judge ordered that they all be taken to prison.
Court Directs Besigye to Be Taken Back to Court
Besigye’s lawyers remained in court to file a habeas corpus plea for his release.
The Ugandan opposition leader was recently rushed to a hospital due to his deteriorating health.
He has been on a hunger strike, which significantly impacted his condition. Besigye was taken to a clinic in Kampala, where he received medical care.
The opposition leader’s family have been demanding for his unconditional release since he was taken into captivity by the Ugandan authorities in Nairobi saying that there is no crime that he committed.
Also Read: Inside Besigye’s Cell: His Wife Reveals Horror Details as Family Pens Emotional Letter to Museveni
On Tuesday, February 18, Besigye’s family penned an emotional letter to President Yoweri Museveni’s administration regarding his continued illegal detention, which they claim directly violates court orders.
In the letter, the family mentioned that a few days ago, like many Ugandans, they awoke to the news that Dr. Kizza Besigye had begun a hunger strike to protest his ongoing detention—a fact that some officials are now attempting to deny, alleging that he is “sick”.
Furthermore, in the letter the family described the opposition leader’s current detention, without any legal basis, as state-sanctioned kidnapping.
Museveni Justifies Why Besigye is Still Detained
However, in a quick rejoinder, Uganda President Yoweri Museveni on the same date issued a statement as to why the Ugandan government has continued detaining Besigye.
Museveni alleges that Besigye committed serious crimes, and his government aims to expedite his trial so that the facts surrounding his arrest can be revealed.
“If you want a stable country, the more appropriate question should be: ‘Naye Dr. Besigye bamukwatila ki? Why was Dr. Besigye arrested?’ The answer to that is a swift trial so that the facts can come to light,” he said.
Also Read: Museveni’s Aide Gives Way Forward on Besigye’s Detention
Additionally, the President urged Ugandans to avoid actions that could incite insecurity in response to Besigye’s detention.
He emphasized that Uganda does not require external influence to understand the concept of forgiveness, as it has always been an integral part of the nation’s values.
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