Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who started a hunger strike last week, was rushed to the hospital after his health worsened.
A lawmaker who supports him and a local TV station confirmed the news.
Besigye has been a strong critic of President Yoweri Museveni for many years. Since November, he has been held in a maximum-security prison in Kampala, Uganda’s capital.
His lawyers claim that authorities “kidnapped” him in Kenya, where he had traveled. They say he was then forced back to Uganda and charged in a military court with several offenses, including illegal possession of weapons.
On Sunday night, Francis Mwijukye, a lawmaker allied with Besigye, posted on social media that Besigye was taken to a clinic at Bugolobi Village Mall under heavy security. “He was being pushed in a wheelchair,” Mwijukye wrote.
Local broadcaster NTV also reported that Besigye had been moved to the health facility, where security was tight. A family member told NTV that his condition was serious, saying, “The situation is bad.”
Military trial
Later that night, Uganda’s Information Minister, Chris Baryomunsi, announced on social media that the government was working to transfer Besigye’s case to civilian courts, officially ending his military trial.
This follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that declared the trial of civilians in military courts unconstitutional.
Over the weekend, many Ugandans, including opposition leader Bobi Wine and a medical association, expressed anger online. They demanded Besigye’s release and full access to his doctors.
Public concern grew even more after Besigye appeared in court on Friday. He looked extremely weak, struggled to walk, and had difficulty moistening his dry lips.
His lawyers, who visited him in prison last week, had already warned that his health was getting worse day by day
