The General Court Martial in Makindye has sentenced Eron Kiiza, a lawyer for opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, to nine months in prison after he was found guilty of contempt of court.
The ruling was handed down at 3:30 PM, following a brief session in which Kiiza was escorted into the dock handcuffed by military police officers.
The Court Martial Chairperson, Brigadier Robert Freeman Mugabe, read out the sentence upon citing Kiiza’s disruptive behavior during a trial involving Dr. Besigye and Obeid Lutaale Kamulegeya.
The court heard that Kiiza had been banging on the metal surfaces in the courtroom and shouting, despite several warnings to maintain order.
According to Mugabe, Kiiza’s actions included confronting and physically assaulting a court orderly, which led to the decision to sentence him to nine months in prison at Kitalya Government Prison. The court did not allow any time for mitigation.
Kiiza’s colleagues, lawyers Erias Lukwago and Fredrick Mpanga say he should still be afforded the right to be heard in a fair trial. The two attorneys requested a formal ruling to facilitate an appeal, but the court responded that it was functus officio, meaning its decision was final and could not be reversed.
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