Bobi Wine Has Been Released On Bail
The artist is being charged with holding an "illegal" anti-government protest last year. He will appear in court again on May 23.
UPDATE: 05/02/19:
Bobi Wine has been released on bail, after being sent to a maximum security prison on Tuesday. He is being charged with "unlawful procession" stemming from a demonstration last year in protest of the Ugandan government's controversial social media tax.
He pled not-guilty to the charges brought against him via a video testimony that was shown in the courtroom, during which he called out the government once again for their consistent efforts to silence him. "If standing for what is right is going to hand me my freedom, I will thank God for it. If standing for what is right is going to keep me in this prison then I will thank God even louder," he said.
The artist and activist is set to appear in court again on May 23, as CNN reports.
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After being placed on house arrest last week at the hands of the Ugandan government, opposition leader Bobi Wine has now been sent to a maximum security prison.
The artist and activist has been sent to the prison following charges stemming from last year, when the artist held an anti-government demonstration in protest of a controversial media tax, which the Ugandan has claimed was held without authorization.
Wine née, Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, appeared in court on Monday, where he made a brief statement about the charges being brought against him. "Indeed it is not me being put on trial," he said. "It is the court itself that is on trial, because I have not committed any crime." He is due back in court on May 2, according to The Guardian.
The government has been targeting Wine relentlessly over the past couple months, tracing back to last year when he was arrested on charges of treason from an alleged attack on President Yoweri Museveni motorcade during an election rally. He was subsequently sent to prison where he was beaten while in police custody.
The activist shared a video just 4 days ago for the song "Afanda," which opens with footage of armed security forces taking him into custody. The video is interspersed with images showing rampant abuse at the hands of police. "I am not fighting you, but I am fighting for you" sings the artist on the upbeat track.
Wine was set to hold a concert last week before police forcefully circled his home on Tuesday, cancelling the show. At the time, authorities claimed that the production lacked "adequate safety measures."
Fans and supporters of the artist showed up to his court hearing on Monday and chanted his tagline "People power" as he was whisked into a police vehicle. Authorities fired tear gas and bullets at those protesting his arrest in Kampala on Monday, reports Al Jazeera.
Many online continue to express support for the artist, using the hashtag #FreeBobiWine to demand justice for the musician and activist.