Rights groups now demand release of Besigye and Lissu
National
By
Jacinta Mutura
| Apr 02, 2026
Kizza Besigye in the dock at Makindye Martial Court, Kampala, November 20, 2024. [AFP]
Human rights groups across East Africa have renewed calls for the release of political prisoners, including Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye and Tanzanian politician Tundu Lissu, warning of a deepening human rights crisis in the region.
The calls by activists who held a presser in Nairobi come amid concerns over Besigye’s deteriorating health after spending over 500 days in detention since November 2024, while Tanzania’s Lissu has been in detention for nearly one year since April 2025.
The activists, under the Pan-African Solidarity Network, said the situations in both Uganda and Tanzania reflect a worsening human rights climate, with an outright disregard for national, regional and international legal standards across East Africa.
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Deus Kanyesigye, a Ugandan activist, described East Africa as a region in crisis, citing what he termed as sham elections, mass atrocities and illegitimate governance.
The group pointed to Tanzania’s October 2025 elections, which were marked by widespread violence, including the massacre of thousands of civilians.
“Over 100 political prisoners remain detained, many facing fabricated charges such as treason and terrorism. The systemic campaign of terror is intended to silence dissent and crush democratic expression,” said Kanyesigye.
They particularly raised concerns over the continued detention of Lissu, who they said remains arbitrarily detained at Ukonga Maximum Security Prison under conditions “that violate domestic and international standards”.
They claimed that Lissu is being held in prolonged isolation, with restricted access to family, legal counsel and medical care, treatment, they said, contravenes the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
The activists further alleged that reports of mass graves and systematic cover-ups in Tanzania demand urgent, independent investigations to establish the truth, identify victims, and ensure accountability and non-repetition.
In Uganda, the network accused the government of presiding over “a full-blown reign of terror” following the January 2026 general elections.
It is alleged that over 2,000 National Unity Platform supporters, activists and journalists are currently held in safe houses and military dungeons, subjected to gruesome torture and dehumanising conditions.
“The Ugandan community in exile is growing daily as citizens flee the country in fear for their lives. Those who remain are subjected to a systematic campaign of violence, extra-judicial killings and abductions,” he added.
Alex Kiibi, an activist from Uganda and UNP supporter, said, “The treatment of Lissu and Besigye meets the threshold of prisoners of conscience. They are detained solely for their political beliefs and peaceful advocacy for reforms.”