PH
Kampala – Uganda’s opposition leader was remanded Wednesday to a maximum security prison in the capital after being accused of treason for setting up protests against the re-election of long-time President Yoweri Museveni.
Besigye was charged afresh after being transferred from Moroto, where had been detained after the treason charges were first read to him last week, said Solomon Muyita, a spokesperson for the judiciary. Treason has a maximum penalty of death upon conviction. Besigye will return to court on June 1.
Besigye came second in presidential elections held in February, but rejected the official results as fraudulent and called for an international audit of the results, one of the reasons cited for charging him with treason.
Uganda’s top court heard a petition against Museveni’s victory and ruled he was validly re-elected. Despite the court’s decision, Besigye has urged his supporters to wage a defiance campaign over the disputed polls as well as what he says is harassment by the security forces.
Besigye has been repeatedly arrested by the police, who sometimes detain him inside his own home.
Museveni, who took power by force in 1986, has been elected five times since 1996. All the elections have been marred by allegations of rigging.
