Political activist Dr. Kiiza Besigye’s lawyer, Eron Kiiza, will have to wait until Monday, March 3, 2025, to learn the outcome of his appeal after being sentenced to nine months in prison for contempt of the General Court Martial.
Kiiza appeared before the High Court, Civil Division, on Tuesday, seeking unconditional release.
However, the Attorney General contends that Kiiza’s sentence is lawful, citing the Supreme Court’s confirmation of the General Court Martial’s existence, albeit with limited jurisdiction over service offenses.
Johnson Natuhwera, representing the Attorney General, argued that Kiiza had approached the wrong court. He stated that Kiiza should challenge his nine-month sentence in the Criminal Division, not the Civil Division of the High Court.
Notably, Natuhwera pointed out that the General Court Martial was lenient in sentencing Kiiza to nine months, as the prescribed sentence for contempt in a military court is up to five years imprisonment under the UPDF Act.
Kiiza’s lawyers, Peter Walubiri and George Musisi, urged Justice Douglas Singiza not to compromise their client’s right to liberty for the sake of administrative convenience.
They argued that the judge has unlimited jurisdiction to order Kiiza’s release.
Justice Singiza reserved his ruling for Monday at 2:30 PM, after considering multiple applications related to Kiiza’s release.
