Bobi Wine slams arrest of Besigye’s lawyer Erias Lukwago as Uganda opposition crackdown deepens
The prominent opposition lawyer was remanded after denying a charge of failing to report treason, as critics condemned his arrest and raised concerns over.
Erias Lukwago, Kizza Besigye’s lawyer, who has been charged with a treason-related offence after being arrested at his home in Kampala. (Photo: Handout)
Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye’s lawyer, Erias Lukwago, has been charged with a treason-related offence after being arrested at his home in Kampala.
Lukwago, a former Kampala mayor and prominent opposition lawyer, appeared before a magistrate’s court, where he denied the charge of failing to report treason. He was remanded in custody and is expected to return to court next week for further proceedings.
His arrest has sparked strong reactions from opposition leaders and human rights advocates, who have raised concerns about the circumstances of his detention. Lukwago is a member of the legal team representing Besigye, a long-time political rival of President Yoweri Museveni who is currently facing treason charges.
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Besigye has been in detention since late 2024 after he was allegedly abducted in Kenya and forcibly returned to Uganda. He has contested several presidential elections against Museveni and remains one of the country's most prominent opposition figures.
Lukwago’s arrest on Monday drew widespread condemnation after Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s military chief and the president’s son, appeared to reference the detention in a series of social media posts.
The posts included images purporting to show Lukwago blindfolded, along with remarks that drew sharp criticism from opposition supporters.
In one post, Kainerugaba said he was “proud of all the hurt and pain I will inflict on the criminal Lukwago,” comments that have heightened concerns among critics over the treatment of opposition figures and their associates.
Opposition politician Bobi Wine condemned the arrest, alleging that Lukwago was detained while preparing to serve a court summons on the military chief.
"I call upon all of us to reject and resist this brazen impunity," he posted on X.
Meanwhile, Lukwago's family filed a court application seeking an order compelling security officers, whom they accuse of abducting him, to disclose his whereabouts and secure his release, whether "dead or alive". The family argued that Kainerugaba had claimed responsibility for Lukwago's seizure and publicly boasted about mistreating him on social media.