A Ugandan court has charged 36 opposition supporters with terrorism-related offences after they were deported from neighboring Kenya where they had travelled to attend a training course, court papers.
The 36 people, who are members of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), one of Uganda’s biggest opposition parties, deny the charges. Their lawyer, Erias Lukwago, told reporters outside the magistrates’ court in Kampala the charges were “ridiculous”.
The case emerged as young people in both Uganda and Kenya demonstrate against corruption, high taxes and other grievances.
Before their arraignment yesterday, they were arrested by the Kenyan authorities during their visit to Kisumu for a leadership and governance training course.
After many hours in detention, the Kenyan authorities deported and handed them over to the Ugandan Government for prosecution.
Kiiza Besigye, a key figure in the FDC and a veteran opponent of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, in a post on his official social media handle, disclosed that aside that they were tortured in detention, their properties were confiscated, including computers and phones.
The court charge sheet accused the 36 people of travelling to Kenya “for the purpose of providing or receiving terrorist training”. They are now being held at a prison about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest of the capital.
Opposition critics and human rights campaigners have long accused Museveni’s government of using fabricated charges to clamp down on his opponents. Government officials deny this.
Museveni, 79, has led the East African country of 46 million since 1986.
Last week security personnel detained more than 100 young Ugandans for participating in protests against rampant corruption among government officials.
The Ugandan demonstrators were drawing inspiration from weeks of youth-led protests in Kenya that forced President William Ruto to withdraw proposed tax hikes.
