The National Unity Platform (NUP) has defended some of its detained supporters who have opted for plea bargains to secure their release, saying the decisions are driven by prolonged detention and repeated denial of bail rather than an admission of guilt.
In a statement, the opposition party said some of its supporters had resorted to plea bargains after exhausting legal avenues to regain their freedom.
“Following numerous bail denials and Museveni’s recent remarks directing judicial officers not to release our people on bail, some of our comrades have opted to plead guilty or enter into plea bargains for offences everyone knows they did not commit,” the statement reads.
NUP maintained that accepting a plea bargain should not be interpreted as an admission of guilt.
“By taking this step, these comrades are not in any way admitting that they committed any offences, but they consider it to be the quickest path available for them to get out of the long periods of detention without trial.”
The statement follows the recent plea bargain entered into by three NUP supporters who had been detained over allegations related to illegal military drills.
According to the party, more than 150 of its supporters remain in detention on what it describes as politically motivated charges, with some having spent years on remand awaiting trial.
“Our legal teams have done and continue to do everything within the law to secure their release. Indeed, we have secured the release of hundreds of our people who were illegally detained during and after the recent elections,” the party said.
NUP stressed that while it does not encourage members to incriminate themselves, it understands the difficult choices faced by detainees who have endured prolonged incarceration.
“Our position on this matter remains that while we never encourage anyone to incriminate themselves, we never judge those who, being weighed down by the numerous challenges that come with illegal detention, choose to plead guilty and come out of jail.”
The party added that what matters most is how supporters conduct themselves after regaining their freedom.
“What is more important is how those comrades behave when they are released.”
At the same time, NUP praised supporters who continue to reject the charges against them despite remaining in detention.
“As for those who insist on their innocence and choose to wait longer, they are even bigger heroes who deserve to be celebrated and supported every day,” the statement said.
The party called on its supporters and the public to understand the difficult circumstances under which some detainees opt for plea bargains as the quickest available route to regain their freedom, insisting that such decisions should not be viewed as an admission of wrongdoing.
