Uganda charges lawyer in high-profile treason case with related offence
Uganda has filed a fresh, related charge against Erias Lukwago, the lawyer leading the defence in a high-profile treason case, days after his arrest earlier this week. The head of Uganda’s army had previously boasted of the pain he would inflict on the lawyer.
Erias Lukwago has been the lead defence counsel in a long-running, high-profile treason case in the capital, Kampala. His home was raided this week and he was first detained by police on accusations of "interfering with judicial proceedings." On Wednesday, he was brought before a court charged with a fresh, related offence tied to the same treason case.
Amnesty International and several local legal bodies have described the arrest as politically motivated. The fact that defence lawyers are being prosecuted alongside their clients marks a new phase in the debate over civil liberties in the country. Previous social-media posts by army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, in which he boasted of the pain he would cause Lukwago, are also under scrutiny.
Uganda’s government insists the charges are being handled through an independent judicial process; however, a European Union delegation seeking to visit Lukwago’s office on Tuesday was turned away. The European Parliament’s human rights committee is preparing to put the issue on its agenda for an urgent session next week.
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