Erias Lukwago, a Ugandan lawyer representing detained opposition figure Kizza Besigye, has been charged with a treason-related offence. Lukwago appeared before a magistrate's court in Kampala, looking visibly weak, after his arrest at his home on Monday.
His arrest sparked widespread condemnation, particularly after Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda's military chief and son of the president, boasted about it on social media. Kainerugaba claimed responsibility for Lukwago's seizure and shared photos appearing to be of Lukwago blindfolded in an unknown location.
Lukwago has been representing Besigye, who has been jailed on treason charges since being abducted in neighbouring Kenya and forcibly returned to Uganda in late 2024. Besigye is a long-standing political opponent of President Yoweri Museveni and has run against him in several presidential elections.
The family of Lukwago went to court seeking an order compelling security officers to disclose his whereabouts and release him, whether 'dead or alive'. Lukwago has denied the charges of failure to report treason and was remanded in prison until next week when his case will be heard.