Ugandans and human rights defenders gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on October 30 to demand the release of political prisoners, including opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye, National Unity Platform (NUP) deputy spokesperson Waiswa Mufumbiro and Doreen Kajja.
The gathering brought together opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, and human rights advocates to mark the International Day of Political Prisoners, observed on October 30.
In a statement posted on X, Kyagulanyi said he had joined human rights defenders from Uganda and other countries to stand in solidarity with political detainees and people who had died in detention around the world.
“I had the opportunity to read out loud the names of many of our detained comrades in Uganda including Dr. Kizza Besigye, Ms. Kajja Doreen, and Mr. Waiswa Mufumbiro,” Kyagulanyi said.
He called on people around the world to support the rights of political prisoners and their families.
Kyagulanyi also thanked the October 30 Coalition and the National Endowment for Democracy for raising awareness about political detention and campaigning for the freedom of prisoners worldwide.
The NUP, whose supporters attended the gathering wearing the party’s signature red colours, reiterated the demand for the release of political detainees under the hashtag #FreeAllPoliticalPrisonersInUganda.
Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of UNAIDS and wife of Besigye, also attended the gathering, where she met Kyagulanyi and his son, Solomon.
In a post on X, Byanyima said she was moved by the turnout of Kyagulanyi’s supporters and expressed concern about his continued exile.
“It breaks my heart and angers me that he and his family must live in exile. What injustice! What a loss for Uganda to drive away a young leader of such promise!” she wrote.
She described Kyagulanyi as a thoughtful and humble leader and questioned the circumstances that had forced him and his family to remain outside Uganda.
The Washington gathering came amid renewed attention to Besigye’s detention and health condition. On the same day, reports circulated that he had been transferred for specialised medical care after being found in critical condition, with the reported intervention attributed to Gen. Salim Saleh.
The reported development drew mixed reactions, with some welcoming the move while critics questioned whether medical intervention was sufficient without addressing the wider concerns surrounding Besigye’s detention.
Besigye, a former presidential candidate and long-time critic of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has faced legal proceedings that have drawn criticism from opposition supporters and human rights advocates. His case has become a focal point in wider demands for accountability, due process and the protection of political freedoms in Uganda.
The rally in Washington extended those demands beyond Uganda, highlighting how the detention of opposition figures has become an issue for Ugandan communities and human rights advocates abroad.
The participants’ calls for the release of detainees also raised broader questions about the treatment of political opponents, access to justice and the circumstances under which people held by the state receive medical care.
The event was part of an international ceremony organised by the October 30 Coalition and the National Endowment for Democracy, which brought together former political prisoners, civic leaders, artists and human rights defenders to honour detainees and campaign for their release.
Dr. Besigye remains in custody while facing treason-related charges, which he denies. Gen. Salim Saleh said on October 30 that he had intervened to facilitate Besigye’s transfer to the Joint Clinical Research Centre in Lubowa for specialised treatment, but did not confirm reports of formal negotiations for his release.
The Washington rally underscored the continuing efforts by Ugandan opposition figures and their supporters abroad to draw international attention to political detention and demand the release of those they consider political prisoners.
