International Law Firm Issues Urgent Warning Over Threats to Ugandan Opposition Leader
LONDON, January 23, 2026 – The international legal counsel for Ugandan opposition figure Bobi Wine has issued an urgent call for his protection, following what it describes as “grave and credible” public threats made by the son of President Yoweri Museveni.
Amsterdam & Partners LLP, a law firm specializing in human rights, released a statement today highlighting comments made by General Muhoozi Kainerugaba after Uganda’s January 15 election. The firm asserts that the General, a senior commander and the President’s son, has directly endangered the life and safety of Bobi Wine.
Robert Amsterdam, founder of the firm, stated that the threats must be treated as an “immediate, operational risk,” given General Kainerugaba’s command authority over security forces implicated in past human rights abuses. “His statements therefore carry the weight of state power and have operational significance,” Amsterdam said.
The warning places the responsibility for Wine’s safety firmly on the Ugandan government, urging President Museveni to publicly and operationally countermand the threats. The firm argues that silence could be seen by security forces as tacit authorization for violence.
“Based on my personal knowledge of the torture Mr. Wine has previously suffered at the hands of Ugandan security forces, it is not hyperbolic to state that his arrest or detention now carries a real and credible risk of death or grievous bodily harm,” Amsterdam added.
The press release frames the threats as a violation of Uganda’s obligations under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. It calls on the United Nations, foreign governments, and human rights bodies to demand verifiable guarantees for Wine’s safe return to his family and to treat his safety as a matter of urgent priority.
The situation underscores ongoing tensions following the recent election, with the opposition and international observers having raised concerns over the electoral process. Amsterdam & Partners LLP has previously represented Bobi Wine, who has been arrested, detained, and allegedly tortured multiple times for his political activism.
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