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The Ugandian guide promises to continue using military courts despite the ban

The Ugandian guide promises to continue using military courts despite the ban

Kampala – Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni said on Saturday that his government would continue to pursue civilians in military courts, even after the country’s highest court banned the practice and decidedly decided.

In a majority decision on Friday, the Supreme Court of the East African country banned the prosecution of the civilian population against military courts and ordered that all ongoing cases are transferred to civil courts there.

The decision was offered by the most important opposition figure Kizza Besigye’s lawyer as a lawyer as a relief during an ongoing proceedings by the country’s war court.

In an explanation of the media on Saturday, Museveni described the court’s decision as wrong and said that military law enforcement strengthened the civil courts and helped with the satisfaction of Karamoja, a region in northeastern Uganda that was plagued by armed violence.

“The land is not ruled by the judges,” he said. “The military courts have helped us discipline caramoja. We cannot and will not give up this useful instrument for stability.”

Human rights activists and opposition politicians have long accused Museveni government of pursuing military courts on the prosecution of opposition leaders and supporters for politically motivated charges.

While the judges of the civil court are independent, officials from the military court are appointed by the President.

The Ugandian pop star, who became the opposition leader Bobi Wine, was previously prosecuted before a military court for weapon offenses.

Besigye, a long -time opponent of Museveni, was arrested in neighboring Kenya in November and brought back to Uganda in order to be charged with several weapons and security offenses in the War Court of Justice.

Since then he was held in custody and was supposed to appear in court on Monday, but after the judgment on Friday, his lawyers said that he would not do so now.

In power since 1986, Museveni has not openly explained whether he would get a re -election next year, even though he is generally expected. Reuters

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