Uganda Opposition Figures File Court Application Over Arrest and Detention
Two individuals filed a High Court application seeking declarations that their arrest, detention, and prosecution violated constitutional rights. The filing names the Chief of Defence Forces and the Attorney General as respondents.
hrw.orgVeteran opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye and co-accused Hajj Obeid Lutale filed an application before the Criminal Division of the High Court on June 8, 2026. The filing seeks declarations against the government and senior military officials over alleged rights violations tied to their arrest, detention, and prosecution.
The application names the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Ephraim Byaruhanga, and the Attorney General as respondents. It states that the prosecution on treason and misprision of treason charges followed an alleged unlawful abduction from Nairobi, Kenya, and transfer to Uganda outside extradition procedures.
According to the application, Ugandan military personnel arrested the two in Kenya on November 16, 2024, and transferred them to Uganda. The filing contends this violated rights to personal liberty, due process, and a fair hearing. The applicants state they were held for four days at Makindye Military Barracks without access to lawyers, family, or a court, exceeding the constitutional 48-hour limit.
They argue the facility is not a gazetted civilian detention center and that the detention amounted to unlawful confinement and psychological torture.
The application alleges that personal property including mobile phones was confiscated during the Nairobi operation, violating property rights. It also references public statements attributed to Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba that the applicants say threatened violence and execution, undermining the presumption of innocence.
The filing challenges the period between the November 2024 arrest and later arraignment before a civilian court as unlawful and unconstitutional. The applicants seek declarations that the respondents' actions contravened the Constitution, the Human Rights (Enforcement) Act, and the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act.
The case forms part of ongoing legal proceedings related to the arrest and transfer, as the treason trial continues before the High Court.
