
KAMPALA, Uganda — The General Court Martial suspended hearings Monday following a Supreme Court ruling that banned the trial of civilians before military courts.
The decision meant that opposition leader Rtd Dr. Kiiza Besigye and his aide Hajji Obeid Lutale were not brought to court as previously ordered.
Two of Besigye’s lawyers, Fredrick Mpanga and Ernest Kalibbala, were turned away from the court premises, along with journalists.
Prison spokesperson Baine Mayanja said the court was waiting for an order from the Supreme Court to determine its next step.
The ruling effectively puts on hold the trials of Besigye, Lutale and other civilians charged before the Court Martial, leaving them in prison indefinitely until the Attorney General advises on the way forward.