A group of activists marched to the Supreme Court on Thursday to protest the continued trial of civilians in military courts, decrying what they called widespread human rights violations.

The demonstration followed the recent detention and sentencing of lawyer Eron Kiiza, who represented opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye.

Kiiza was allegedly detained illegally, summarily convicted, and handed a nine-month sentence.

In a joint statement, the activists criticised the Judiciary for failing to address what they described as abuse of the legal system.

They specifically targeted the Supreme Court for its four-year delay in resolving an appeal involving the Constitutional Court's ruling on the jurisdiction of the General Court Martial.

The Constitutional Court had previously ruled that the Court Martial is not an independent or impartial tribunal under Article 28(1) of the Constitution and should only enforce military discipline.

However, the Supreme Court stayed the execution of this judgment, which the activists argue has perpetuated injustice.

"Kiiza joins a growing list of victims of gross human rights violations, while the Judiciary, supposed to uphold the rule of law, refuses or fails to act," the statement read.

Efforts by the Agora Centre for Research to push the Supreme Court to act on the appeal have reportedly gone unanswered.

The activists said their march symbolises resistance to what they called a "state of lawlessness and abuse of power" in Uganda.

On Tuesday, Kiiza was sentenced by the General Court Martial for "gross professional misconduct," accused of disrupting court proceedings by "banging the angle bars and refusing to listen to the chairman."

Kiiza, who represented Dr. Kizza Besigye and his associate Obeid Lutale, was placed in the caged dock with his clients during the morning session and later returned in handcuffs after a lunch break.

According to fellow lawyer Samuel Muyizi, Kiiza was tortured during the adjournment, suffering a dislocated arm and allegedly surviving an attempted strangulation by military personnel.

"The military personnel attempted to strangle him," Muyizi told reporters outside the court.

The court issued Kiiza's sentence without a trial, a move critics labeled a blatant violation of justice.

The incident has reignited debate over the legitimacy of military courts trying civilians, with activists and legal experts describing them as "kangaroo courts" that strip civilians of basic rights.