Uganda's Kizza Besigye lands in ICU after collapsing in court
Why it matters: The 70-year-old opposition figure is being held on treason charges, deepening scrutiny of Uganda's treatment of political rivals.
Detained Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye was unconscious in intensive care on Thursday after collapsing during a court hearing in Kampala, his wife Winnie Byanyima said. Besigye, 70, is being treated at Mulago National Referral Hospital after he fell in court a day earlier while standing trial for treason. He has been in custody since November 2024, when he and aide Obeid Lutale were detained in Kenya and returned to Uganda. Besigye, Lutale and their supporters deny the charges and call the case politically motivated. His detention has drawn criticism from rights groups and opponents of President Yoweri Museveni, who say it reflects a wider crackdown on dissent.