A group of activists marched to the Supreme Court on Thursday, protesting the continued trial of civilians in military courts and condemning what they described as widespread human rights abuses.
The demonstration was sparked by the recent detention and sentencing of lawyer Eron Kiiza, who had represented opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye. Kiiza was reportedly detained unlawfully, convicted without due process, and handed a nine-month sentence.
In a joint statement, the activists criticized the Judiciary for failing to address alleged abuses of the legal system. They specifically called out the Supreme Court for its four-year delay in resolving an appeal concerning the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the jurisdiction of the General Court Martial.
The Constitutional Court had earlier declared that the Court Martial is not an independent or impartial tribunal as defined by Article 28(1) of the Constitution and should solely enforce military discipline.
However, the Supreme Court’s decision to stay the execution of this judgment has, according to the activists, enabled continued injustices.
“Kiiza is among many victims of grave human rights violations, while the Judiciary, which is meant to uphold the rule of law, either refuses or fails to act,” the statement read.
The Agora Centre for Research has reportedly sought action from the Supreme Court on the appeal but has received no response.
The activists described their march as a symbol of resistance against what they called a “state of lawlessness and abuse of power” in Uganda.
Kiiza’s troubles began on Tuesday when the General Court Martial sentenced him for “gross professional misconduct,” alleging that he disrupted court proceedings by banging angle bars and refusing to heed the chairman’s orders.
During the session, Kiiza, who was representing Dr. Besigye and associate Obeid Lutale, was placed in a caged dock with his clients. After a lunch break, he returned to court in handcuffs.
Fellow lawyer Samuel Muyizi alleged that Kiiza was tortured during the adjournment, suffering a dislocated arm and surviving an attempted strangulation by military personnel. “They tried to strangle him,” Muyizi told reporters outside the court.
Kiiza’s sentencing occurred without a proper trial, a move widely condemned as a flagrant violation of justice.
The incident has reignited calls to end the practice of trying civilians in military courts, with activists and legal experts describing such tribunals as “kangaroo courts” that deny civilians their basic rights.