An army court in Uganda granted bail Monday to 18 supporters of opposition leader Bobi Wine who had been detained for the past six months on what some say are politically motivated charges.
The supporters of Wine -- a former presidential candidate, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi -- were released by the Court chairman, Lt. Gen Andrew Gutti.
They were arrested with Wine on Dec. 30 last year on Kalangala island in Lake Victoria, where they had gone for presidential campaigns. Wine was flown in a chopper to his home near the capital, Kampala, but his supporters were charged and remanded at Kitalya prison.
Among those granted bail were Wine's singing partner Ali Bukeni, also known as Nubian Li, his bodyguard Eddy Ssebufu, alias Eddie Mutwe, and producer Daniel Brenny Oyerwot, alias Dan Magic.
"After 6 months of illegal detention, 18 comrades including Nubian Li, Eddie Mutwe & Dan Magic are out on bail! The military court imposed prohibitive conditions but we're glad to have them back. We shan't relent until all the hundreds others are free, and until Uganda is free!" Wine said on Twitter.
The supporters were accused of unlawful possession of ammunition contrary to the Firearms Act, which they have vehemently denied.
"This court has deliberated on their bail application and rules as follows: Applicants have spent a long period on remand. As a result, this court finds merit in the application and hereby grants them bail," Gutti said in his ruling.
Each of them was released on a non-cash bail of 20 million Ugandan shillings ($5,673) while their four sureties were each bonded at 50 million shillings non-cash.
The spokesman for Wine's National Unity Platform (NUP) party, Joel Senyonyi, said: "We are happy that they have been granted bail. But we still demand that all political prisoners are released."
