KAMPALA — On Monday, a Ugandan court charged 36 opposition supporters with terrorism-related offenses following their deportation from Kenya, where they had traveled to attend a training course, according to Reuters news agency citing court documents reviewed.
The accused, members of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Uganda’s major opposition party, deny the allegations.
“The charges are ridiculous,” their lawyer, Erias Lukwago, declared to reporters outside the magistrates’ court in Kampala.
This case unfolds against a backdrop of mounting protests by young people in Uganda and Kenya, driven by discontent over corruption, high taxes, and other grievances.
The 36 individuals were detained and subsequently deported by Kenyan authorities after traveling to the western city of Kisumu on July 23 for a leadership and governance training course, according to their lawyer and party officials.
During their detention in Kenya, their belongings, including computers and phones, were confiscated, and they were subjected to torture and injuries, stated Kiiza Besigye, a prominent FDC figure and a long-time opponent of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, in a post on the X platform on Sunday.
The court’s charge sheet accuses the group of traveling to Kenya “for the purpose of providing or receiving terrorist training.”
They are currently being held in a prison approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest of the capital, Kampala.
Opposition critics and human rights advocates have repeatedly accused President Museveni’s administration of fabricating charges to suppress dissent. Government officials have consistently denied these accusations.
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