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Eron Kiiza, a prominent human rights lawyer and the legal representative of opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, has opened up about the traumatic experience he endured after his arrest during a General Court Martial session in January 2025.
Kiiza, who had been representing Dr. Besigye and his aide Obeid Lutale, was taken into custody after a confrontation with military officers in the courtroom.
The officers blocked the lawyer from entering the lawyers' section of the court, despite the fact that his clients were already in the dock.
The situation escalated, and the court chairman eventually issued an arrest order, marking the beginning of Kiiza's harrowing ordeal.
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In an interview, Kiiza revealed that he had been receiving warnings of his impending arrest from colleagues, including Hon. Medard Lubega Segona, and from Winnie Byanyima, Dr. Besigye’s wife.
“Mrs Byanyima had been alerted about the planned arrest. She told me that I was on top of the list of people to be arrested which also had others like Ingrid Turinawe,” he recalled.
Kiiza says he did not take the warning seriously, as he regularly faced threats due to his human rights work.
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His arrest was sparked by the army court staff blocking him from accessing the bar, where his fellow lawyers were seated.
When a soldier physically restrained him, he made a loud protest, before the Court Chairman, Freeman Mugabe ordered his arrest.
Torture and Abuse in Military Detention
Kiiza described the violent treatment he endured in the hands of the military personnel.
While in the dock, he says he “begged” the army court staff to apologise and be released.
Instead, he hugged Dr Besigye and Lutale and acknowledged the protesters in the courtroom.
This he says angered the court martial, and that the chairman ordered for him to be taken from the dock to the holding cell.
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In the process, he says, he was badly beaten
"They beat me as they took me from the dock to the military holding cell. They slapped me, hit me with batons, and caused significant injuries,” he recounted.
“My head and ear were injured, and they tore my lower lip.”
He also sustained injuries to his ribs on both sides, leaving him unable to squat for long periods of time due to the pain.
Inmate Intervention and Release
Inside the cell, Kiiza recounted how his fellow inmates played a crucial role in saving him from further harm.
These, he said, protested and asked the soldiers why he was being beaten.
"I was lucky to be removed from their hands and transferred to a civilian jail shortly after. If I had stayed in that military cell, I shudder to think what would have happened," he said.
The inmates' intervention prevented further violence, and Kiiza later showed visitors the injuries he sustained, including the cuts on his lips and the bruises on his body.
After spending over two months in detention, Kiiza was granted bail on April 4, 2025.
His release was secured with a bail of UGX 20 million, and he was required to deposit his passport with the court.
Kiiza’s supporters hailed his release, but the treatment he endured while in detention continues to spark concerns about the conditions in military prisons and the treatment of political detainees in Uganda.