A Ugandan military court adjourned the trial of veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye to January 7, 2025, citing legal hurdles.
Besigye, a 68-year-old retired army colonel, was abducted in Nairobi last month while attending a book launch, rights groups report.
He stands accused of possessing weapons and other charges in a trial alongside fellow opposition figure Hajji Lutale Kamulegeya.
The trial has faced delays after Besigye’s lead lawyer, Martha Karua, was denied permission to practice law in Uganda.
Karua, a prominent Kenyan opposition politician, was accused by the Uganda Law Council of filing a politically motivated application.
“We are facing legal hurdles,” stated defence lawyer Erias Lukwago during a tense court session on Tuesday.
Adding to the turmoil, another lawyer representing Besigye was arrested just before the hearing, deepening concerns among rights advocates.
“The court’s actions suggest a plan to keep Besigye and his team in custody over the Christmas holiday,” Lukwago said.
Besigye, once President Yoweri Museveni’s personal physician, became a vocal critic after falling out with the president in the 1990s.
His political career has been marked by repeated arrests and unsuccessful attempts to unseat Museveni in four elections.
Uganda has intensified its crackdown on the opposition, with 36 members of Besigye’s party deported from Kenya and tried on terrorism charges in July.
The case against Besigye continues to highlight the fraught political climate and mounting tensions in Uganda’s opposition landscape.
