Petition Seeks Removal of Judge Baguma From Besigye Treason Trial

Supporters of detained opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye have launched a petition demanding the removal of High Court judge Emmanuel Baguma from the treason case against Besigye and his co-accused Hajji Obeid Lutale, accusing him of bias and unfair handling of the proceedings.

The petition, initiated by the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) and addressed to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), seeks Justice Baguma’s immediate recusal from High Court Criminal Case No. 335 of 2025.

By Monday morning, the online petition hosted on Change.org had attracted more than 230 verified signatures, with organisers calling on Ugandans to support what they describe as a campaign to protect the right to a fair trial.

The petitioners allege that Justice Baguma has consistently favoured the prosecution, allowed state attorneys to disregard court directives without sanction and delayed applications filed by the defence while permitting the main trial to proceed.

Among the complaints raised is the handling of evidence disclosure.

The petition claims the prosecution was granted several months to prepare and disclose evidence, while the defence was allegedly given only two days to review more than 2,000 pages of documents and hours of audio recordings despite the accused persons being in custody.

“The judge has also failed to properly follow legal procedures even when guided by defence lawyers, demonstrating a demeanor suggesting that a verdict may already be predetermined,” the petition states.

The campaign follows a series of contentious developments in the case, including a recent application by the Director of Public Prosecutions seeking permission to conceal the identities of six key prosecution witnesses and delay disclosure of their evidence until shortly before they testify.

It also comes amid growing concerns about Besigye’s health and complaints from his legal team over delays in hearing a bail application and a separate human rights enforcement case.

PFF argues that unresolved human rights issues should have been determined before substantive proceedings in the treason trial continued.

Citing Article 126 of the Constitution, the petitioners contend that judicial power is derived from the people and must be exercised in accordance with the law, fairness and public confidence.

“Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done,” the petition reads.

Besigye and Lutale are facing charges of treason and misprision of treason arising from allegations that they and others still at large plotted between 2003 and November 2024 in Uganda, Kenya, Greece and Switzerland to overthrow the government by force of arms. Both men deny the accusations.

Neither Justice Baguma nor the Judicial Service Commission had publicly responded to the allegations by Monday.

The petition adds fresh pressure to an already politically sensitive prosecution that has become one of the country’s most closely watched court cases.

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