The People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Kizza Besigye, who marks exactly six months in detention tomorrow, May 20th, following his remand by the military court on November 20th, 2024.
Addressing the media on Monday, PFF interim spokesperson Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda cited Article 23(6)(b) of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda, which guarantees mandatory bail for suspects who have spent six months on remand without trial.
“It is mandatory under the Constitution for suspects who have spent six months in prison without trial to be granted bail. Dr. Besigye’s detention now amounts to persecution,” Ssemujju said.
Dr. Besigye, a veteran opposition leader and four-time presidential candidate, was remanded to Luzira Prison on charges of treason, however, the PFF dismisses as fabricated and politically motivated. According to Ssemujju, the charges stem from Besigye’s continued criticism of President Yoweri Museveni and his government.
“His only crime is wanting to end life presidency in Uganda. They should release him unconditionally by tomorrow morning. he said
The opposition leader is expected to appear before the Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court on Wednesday, May 21st, and PFF is calling on supporters and the public to turn up in large numbers in solidarity.
“We hope that when he appears, it will be from his home. After six months, the Constitution must be followed,” Ssemujju stated.
He accused the state and military establishment, which he referred to as the “Museveni-Muhoozi Tutsi junta”, of failing to produce any credible evidence against Dr. Besigye.
“Can you imagine that in six months, they have not produced even a single paragraph of evidence? Instead, they are now seeking court permission to access his phones to hunt for evidence after arresting him,” Ssemujju said.
The Nakawa court, he added, recently ruled in favor of the prosecution’s request to access Besigye’s phones, but controversially directed that the application be heard in closed chambers.
“Our lawyers objected to the secretive hearing and filed an appeal in the High Court, but a decision is yet to be made,” he said.
Ssemujju warned that continued political persecution of opposition figures would eventually backfire on the regime.
“The continued harassment of Ugandans on political grounds will have consequences. We demand that Dr. Besigye]and all those detained for political reasons be released immediately,” he concluded.
Dr. Besigye, a former personal physician to President Museveni and once his closest ally, has remained a vocal critic of what he calls Museveni’s “militarized autocracy”. His detention has drawn widespread concern from opposition leaders, human rights groups, and international observers.
