Sheikh Abdul Hakeem Sulaiman Mureebi, a 50-year-old resident of Nabweru Division in Nansana Municipality, is nursing injuries after he was allegedly assaulted by security operatives following his arrest outside Nakawa Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
Chaos broke out shortly after the court session involving opposition figure Dr. Col. Kizza Besigye, whose case was adjourned to May 29, 2025, by Grade One Magistrate Jonathan Tiyo.
As crowds exited the courtroom, plainclothes men swooped in, forcibly bundling Mureebi and Kira Municipality Councilor Katongole into a van commonly referred to as “the drone.”
Mureebi, a known supporter of the Justice Forum (JEMA), had reportedly attended the hearing in solidarity with his longtime friend Besigye.
He says he was abruptly picked up around midday and subjected to physical abuse in the van and later in an unidentified location.
Speaking with visible pain and emotion, Mureebi claimed he was wrongly arrested and beaten, allegedly accused of participating in the courtroom chaos and punching a military officer.
He said the officers confiscated his personal belongings, including his phones and documents, and interrogated him about his political affiliations.
According to Mureebi, at around 5:00 p.m., he and Councilor Katongole were driven to Mbuya and abandoned without explanation.
They later managed to find their way back home.
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