KAMPALA, Uganda| The East Africa Law Society (EALS), the preeminent regional bar association that unites legal professionals in East Africa, has condemned the continued detention and unjust contempt conviction of Mr. Eron Kiiza, who was arrested on the 7th of January 2025 when he had gone to represent his clients, Dr. Kiiza Besigye and Obeid Lutale, at the General Court Martial in Kampala.

In a statement issued by Ramadhan Abubaker, the president of the East Africa Law Society, his prolonged incarceration arising solely from the lawful execution of his professional responsibilities and the principled exercise of his fundamental rights represents an egregious affront to the rule of law.

” A fragrant breach of international human rights norms and a direct assault on the legal profession . the EALS demands his immediate and unconditional release, the cessation of the of unlawful practice of subjecting civilians to military tribunals and full accountability for those responsible for his mistreatment,” statement read

The treatment of Eron Kiiza violates a litany of binding regional obligations to which Uganda is unequivocally accountable. These include Articles 9, 14, and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, safeguarding against arbitrary detention, ensuring fair trial, and protecting freedom of expression.

”Mr. Kiiza’s ordeal is not an isolated incident but a stark manifestation of a broader campaign of repression by Ugandan authorities targeting lawyers, human rights defenders, and critics of the state. His affiliation with the opposition leader Kiiza Besigye and his outspoken resistance to military overreach have rendered him a marked man, subject to enforced disappearance, arrests, and now this unconditional detention. The High Court’s refusal to enforce the Supreme Court’s clear directives not only perpetuates this injustice but also undermines the independence of the judiciary and entrenches a culture of impunity.”