By Nasser Kayanja
COURT. The treason case against veteran opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye came to a standstill on Wednesday after he collapsed in the dock .
This followed a prolonged protest against the commencement of his trial.
The incident happened before Judge Emmanuel Baguma after Besigye spent more than 10 minutes shouting in protest, insisting that the trial could not proceed because he had not consented to representation by lawyers appointed by the state.
His collapse stunned court officials, prison officers and members of the public inside the courtroom, bringing proceedings to an immediate halt.
People’s Front for Freedom vice president Lulume Bayiga and lawyer Nicholas Kamara attempted to access Besigye to provide first aid, but prison officers blocked their attempt, leading to a brief standoff before court officials intervened.
The proceedings were later adjourned, with two ambulances arriving at the High Court premises before Besigye was taken away for medical attention.
The prosecution had shortly before presented its first witness, Andy Wilson Orlando, a British-American national expected to testify in support of the treason charges against Besigye.
Earlier, Besigye objected to the trial proceeding, arguing that his constitutional right to choose his own lawyers had been violated.
He told court that he had rejected the state-appointed lawyers after his personal legal team withdrew from the case, citing intimidation and concerns over their safety.
Justice Baguma, however, ruled that Besigye had been given sufficient time to consult the lawyers appointed by the state.
The judge said that although Judge Simon Peter Kinobe was still handling an application challenging the legal representation arrangement, the trial would proceed as court awaited any directives that may arise from that decision.
Proceedings were held under restrictions on media coverage. During Wednesday’s session, the state-sponsored defence team appeared before court for the first time, while court assessors were sworn in despite objections from Besigye.
Co-accused Capt. Denis Oola told court that he had accepted representation by the state-appointed lawyers, including Sarah Awero, Julius Serwangala and Sylvia Namawejje.
Besigye and co-accused Obeid Lutale, however, maintained that they were still considering a list of more than 700 lawyers from which they intended to select their defence team.
They argued that the lawyers appointed by the state lacked the experience and credentials required to handle a case of such magnitude, saying they had only shortlisted about 200 advocates from the wider list.
Moments after the prosecution started presenting evidence, Besigye collapsed in the dock, prompting concern inside the courtroom.
Besigye has largely represented himself since his defence team stopped appearing in court.
The lawyers withdrew from the proceedings citing what they described as a hostile environment for the defence, including the arrest of lead counsel Erias Lukwago and the refusal to allow Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua entry into Uganda.
The case is expected to continue once court receives an update on Besigye’s condition.