In a dramatic turn of events, three National Unity Platform (NUP) members changed their pleas to guilty during their 56th appearance before the military court martial at Makindye.
The group, including Olivia Lutaaya and 27 other comrades, have been facing charges since their abduction, torture, and detention in mid-2021. Despite consistently maintaining their innocence, their case has seen no progress, with multiple bail applications being denied.
According to NUP leader Bobi Wine, regime emissaries have been secretly pressuring the accused and their families to plead guilty. “We are informed that regime emissaries have been reaching out to these comrades and their relatives, threatening them with even harsher punishment if they do not plead guilty to the charges fabricated against them,” Bobi Wine stated in a statement posted on his X account. He further alleged that the emissaries harassed the accused to drop their NUP lawyers in favor of military lawyers.
During the latest court appearance, Sanya Muhydin, one of the accused, claimed he had been misled by NUP and its leaders into committing the alleged crimes. Muhydin’s statement came just weeks after he was sentenced to eight months imprisonment for contempt of court following a protest against what he described as persecution. “These are the effects of the regime’s weaponization of the judicial process to suppress political dissent,” Bobi Wine declared, criticizing the court proceedings as a “kangaroo court.”
Bobi Wine condemned the state’s tactics, expressing concerns that the coerced guilty pleas are an attempt to legitimize the politically-motivated charges and further the regime’s narrative of criminalizing NUP members. “Since 2020, the regime has been trying without success to paint leaders and members of the National Unity Platform as criminals. Our comrades’ involuntary plea of guilty is meant to help the regime achieve this objective, with the ultimate aim of undermining our struggle for freedom,” he emphasized.
Olivia Lutaaya, who has been entangled in this prolonged legal battle, has not wavered in her stance. “We have been here for almost four years without a fair trial. This is not just a delay; it is a calculated punishment for exercising our constitutional rights,” she stated.
Bobi Wine urged Ugandans and the international community to stand in solidarity with the accused. “We call upon all Ugandans of good conscience and the international community to stand with us in demanding justice for these political prisoners. The Museveni regime must be held accountable for its continued violation of human rights and the persecution of those who oppose it.”
As the situation develops, the NUP maintains its commitment to fighting for a Uganda where every citizen’s fundamental rights are respected. “We remain firm in our fight for a free and just Uganda where every citizen can enjoy their fundamental rights without unjustified restraint,” Bobi Wine concluded.
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