Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, 80, has defended the use of military courts to try civilians amid backlash over the trial of opposition leader Kizza Besigye.
Besigye, 68, is charged in a military court with illegal possession of weapons and attempting to buy arms abroad, accusations he denies.
He was abducted in Kenya last month and forcibly returned to Uganda, where his trial has been delayed until January, meaning he will spend Christmas in custody.
Museveni justifies the practice, citing delays in civilian courts and the need for swift action to address gun-related crimes for stability.
“Any crime involving a gun is dealt with in a military court,” he stated in a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter).
Though Uganda’s Constitutional Court has opposed trying civilians in military courts, Museveni argues his National Resistance Movement (NRM) introduced the practice in 2005 to counter rampant crime and terrorism.
Besigye, a long-time political rival of Museveni who has contested and lost four presidential elections since 1986, has objected to being tried in a military court, insisting any charges against him should be heard in a civilian court.
An outspoken critic, Besigye has faced multiple arrests but no convictions.
Activists and international rights organizations have rallied behind Besigye, describing his treatment as unfair and politically motivated.
“Civilians tried in Uganda’s military courts do not receive the same due process guarantees as those in civilian courts,” said UN human rights chief Volker Türk.
Human Rights Watch also urged Uganda to cease using military courts to target political opponents.
Museveni dismissed the criticisms, praising military courts for contributing to Uganda’s peace and stability. “You have made your own contribution to our peace,” he concluded.
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