The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. February 18, 2025 Jailed Ugandan Opposition Leader Kizza Besigye to Face Civil Trial ------------------------------------------------------------------ In Uganda, authorities have dropped a military trial against prominent opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who will now be charged in a civilian court instead. Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate, has been detained since November after he went missing, reappearing days later inside a cage in front of a military tribunal in Kampala. His supporters say he faces several politically motivated charges, including treachery, which carries the death penalty. Besigye was recently rushed to the hospital after going on hunger strike last week. .