A Ugandan court refuses bail to a veteran opposition leader who is being charged with treason

Kizza Besigye, an opposition veteran who has been imprisoned for almost nine months on treason accusations, was denied bail by a Ugandan judge on Friday.

Concerns of a crackdown ahead of Uganda’s national election early next year, in which President Yoweri Museveni, 80, is running for reelection, have been aroused by the case among government critics, including rights organizations and opposition leader Bobi Wine.

The government claims that everyone jailed has committed crimes and denies targeting opposition figures.

Besigye, a former Museveni loyalist and personal doctor, has run against Museveni four times and lost. He hasn’t stated if he plans to run again.

After being forcibly repatriated to Uganda from neighboring Kenya in November of last year, Besigye—who denies any wrongdoing—was first accused in a military trial before his case was moved to a civilian court.

His attorneys contended that since he had been detained for more than 180 days before his trial began, he ought to be automatically freed on bail.

According to Judge Emmanuel Baguma, he is 12 days short of obtaining bail because the 180-day maximum time before required bail is allowed only started when he was remanded in the civilian court on February 21.