Human Rights

Kenya has long been regarded as a beacon of refuge for political dissidents and activists from neighboring countries. However, recent incidents involving Ugandan human rights activists and opposition leaders cast doubt on this reputation. Increasing allegations of harassment, abductions, and deportations have created a chilling environment for those seeking safety …

Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, has called for a fair legal process for her husband, Dr. Kizza Besigye, denouncing his trial in a Ugandan military court as unjust and politically motivated. She emphasized that Besigye, a former presidential candidate and retired colonel, has not owned a firearm in over …

Erias Lukwago, the lawyer representing Dr Kizza Besigye has objected to charging his client with crimes allegedly committed outside the country. Speaking moments after the General Court Martial Chairman Brigadier Freeman Mugabe read out the charge sheet that listed four counts on which Besigye and Haji Obed Lutale have been …

Besigye was abducted in Nairobi, Kenya, and forcibly returned to Uganda. He appeared on Wednesday before the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) General Court Martial on four counts related to security and was remanded to Luzira prison until December 2, 2024. Kyagulanyi strongly condemned Besigye’s arrest and detention. He described …

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) have announced that Dr. Kizza Besigye, the veteran opposition leader, will be arraigned before the General Court Martial this morning. “Go to Makindye Court Martial today at 11 am; you will find the answer you need,” said Brig. Felix Kulaigye, the UPDF spokesperson, when contacted …

The Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) general court-martial has remanded Rtd. Colonel Dr. Kiiza Besigye and Obeid Lutaale Kamulegeya to Luzira and Kitalya prisons, respectively. Appearing before the Makindye-based military court on Wednesday afternoon, chaired by Brigadier Freeman Mugabe, the duo faced four charges related to security, including conspiring against …

Winnie Byanyima, wife of missing veteran Ugandan politician Dr. Kizza Besigye has accused Government of holding him in a Kampala military facility. “I request the govt of Uganda to release my husband Dr Kizza Besigye from where he is being held immediately. He was kidnapped last Saturday while he was …

The United States sanctioned a senior Sudanese paramilitary official on Tuesday, accusing him of overseeing human rights abuses in his country’s West Darfur region. The Treasury Department announced the sanctions on Abdel Rahman Joma’a Barakallah, a commander with Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which it accused of being “a …

Thirty-six members of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Katonga faction, recently arrested in Kisumu, Kenya, and charged with terrorism, have recounted harrowing experiences of torture and inhumane treatment during their arrest and detention. Speaking at a thanksgiving ceremony held at the Katonga Road PFF Party headquarters in Kampala, the …

A journalist held without trial in an Eritrean prison for 23 years has received a Swedish human rights award for his commitment to freedom of expression. Dawit Isaak, who holds dual Eritrean and Swedish citizenship, received the Edelstam Prize “for his… exceptional courage,” the foundation behind the award said in …