One of the nine National Unity Platform (NUP) political prisoners who declined to plead guilty to the charges preferred against them in then general court martial has entered the fifth day on hunger strike.
Yasin Ssekitoleko aka Machete’s health has been deteriorating from the day he embarked on a hunger strike on the 19th of this month, the party president, Robert Kyagulanyi has posted on his social handle.
He has indicated that for five days now, Ssekitoleko has not been taking meals at Kitalya Prison in protest of his continued illegal detention.
“Museveni’s minister Balaam promised that those who refused would die in prison. After 4 years in detention without trial, and following the Supreme Court ruling, he has been protesting the regime’s deliberate decision to keep them under illegal detention.”
Kyagulanyi adds that, this evening, prison authorities made a panic call to Ssekitoleko’s mother, asking her to speak with her son on phone and persuade him resume to take meals again.
“According to her, Machete was too weak to even speak elaborately on phone. He is crying out for justice on his behalf and on behalf of the other prisoners of conscience!” Kyagulanyi indicated.
Other 19 NUP political prisoners were granted a presidential pardon in November last year after serving time in prison.
The General Court Martial convicted them after they pleaded guilty to the charges charges of treachery and illegal possession of explosives.
Most of those pardoned are young people who were arrested in various parts of the country during the 2021 general election.
They had been actively supporting opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine.
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