Commonwealth urges Uganda to release detained opposition politician

FILE PHOTO: Opposition leader Kizza Besigye and Obeid Lutale stand in a steel dock at the Uganda Military General Court Martial in Makindye, a suburb of Kampala, Uganda December 2, 2024. REUTERS Abubaker Lubowa/File Photo

KAMPALA (Reuters) - The Commonwealth called on Tuesday for Uganda, a member of the 56-nation group, to release opposition politician Kizza Besigye, saying his detention undermined democracy and human rights.

President Yoweri Museveni however dismissed concerns about Besigye's health, describing his hunger strike as blackmail aimed at generating sympathy to get bail.