Kampala, (UG):- City Lawyer, Eron Kiiza, A member of the legal team representing veteran Opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye has been arrested under dramatic circumstances at the General Court Martial.
Kiiza, who had gone to defend Dr Besigye and his aide, Hajj Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya was apprehended during the military court in a heated courtroom exchange with a military officer that escalated into chaos.
The scuffle ensued when a soldier attempted to block Mr Kiiza from proceeding to the bar where other defence lawyers were seated. In a heated confrontation, Mr. Kiiza resisted saying: “Get out of my way. I need to proceed. I’m a lawyer. Like it or not, I have to go there.”
Moments later, the lawyer was forcibly manhandled, placed into the dock, and later whisked away to an undisclosed location which sparked immediate concern from the defence team, led by Kenyan Senior Counsel Ms Martha Karua.
In response to her protest, the court-martial chairperson, Brig. Freeman Mugabe cited misconduct as the reason for Mr. Kiiza’s arrest. “The way we’re conducting ourselves in this court is not helping. We are here for justice. However, our conduct is to the disadvantage of the accused persons (Dr Besigye and Hajj Lutale),” Brig. Mugabe stated.
Ms. Karua, however, criticized the handling of the incident, calling it a violation of the lawyer’s rights. “The absence of Eron Kiiza is a very fundamental issue. Eron Kiiza is an advocate of the High Court. He shouldn’t have been blocked from coming in. He was assaulted and taken,” Ms Karua said.
“The way this court is handling this matter looks like it was intended to have him assaulted,” she added.
The former Kenyan Justice Inister also decried the harassment and exhaustive body checks to which the defence team had been subjected.
Dr Besigye and Mr Lutale, both prominent figures in the opposition, are facing charges related to security and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. The charges stem from their controversial arrest in Nairobi, Kenya, and subsequent transfer to Kampala in November 2024.
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