PAD Statement on the Collapse of Dr Kizza Besigye in Court
PAD Statement on the Collapse of Dr Kizza Besigye in Court
29 July 2026
Dr Kizza Besigye, a leader of the Ugandan opposition, who has been the victim of a farcical treason trial since he was abducted in Nairobi in November 2024, has collapsed in court.
The blame for Dr Besigye’s deteriorating medical condition and his collapse lies squarely with the Ugandan government, which has denied him proper medical attention and has continued with a farcical treason trial in which no credible evidence has been presented, for 22 months.
At the moment of his collapse, he was protesting against the latest legal outrage, which saw his lawyers barred from representing him and an attempt to continue his trial without legal representation – a fundamental right respected around the world by all countries which claim to have a fair and just legal system.
This denial of legal representation directly contradicts article 28 (3) of the Ugandan constitution, which states that an accused must be permitted to appear in court represented by “a lawyer of his or her choice”.
The increasingly tyrannical Ugandan regime, which has violently assaulted opposition leaders and their families, abducted others and used the courts as a tool of oppression, must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
The Platform for African Democrats calls on the Ugandan government to ensure that Dr Besigye immediately receives medical treatment from his doctors and is placed in a suitable, properly equipped medical facility to ensure that no further harm comes to him.
We further call on the Ugandan government to stop this farcical trial and to release Dr Besigye.
World leaders and businesses invested in Uganda cannot sit idly by while the travesty continues, and we call on them to speak out and to protect democracy and the rule of law.
Uganda is fast becoming a pariah state where the ruling elite manipulates elections, uses violence against opposition and rigs elections. Democrats around the world have a duty to stand by Dr Besigye as he faces this assault on his health and dignity.
Issued by the Platform for African Democrats (PAD)