Supporters of jailed Ugandan opposition figure pray for him after president tries to stop it

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Hundreds of supporters of detained Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye held a defiant prayer service inside a Catholic cathedral on Monday to press authorities to free him after more than a year without trial on treason charges, saying he is in failing health.

The archbishop of Kampala, Paul Ssemogerere, had been expected to preside but attendees were told the event had been postponed. The chancellor of the archdiocese, Pius Male, told The Associated Press the archbishop sought a postponement “because there were issues which were still being discussed so that may have harmony.” He gave no details.

Instead of heading out, those inside Lubaga Cathedral sang hymns and prayed, led by Winnie Byanyima, the UNAIDS director who married Besigye in the church years ago.

The event was the first of its kind in support of Besigye, who has sometimes appeared in court in a wheelchair. He has been repeatedly denied bail, even as many Ugandans urge compassion. His trial is yet to formally start.

Byanyima told the crowd that the archbishop had informed her of President Yoweri Museveni’s request to postpone the event pending an investigation into whether it was political.

“So we are here and unable to have the Mass that we wanted because of the order of our president,” she said. “I would like that we still pray because we came to pray.”

Sandor Walusimbi, a spokesperson for the presidency, didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Uganda's president has said Besigye must answer for “the very serious offenses he is alleged to have been planning,” and has called for “a quick trial so that facts come out.”

Besigye, once Uganda’s most prominent opposition figure and four-time presidential candidate, is accused of plotting to remove Museveni by force.

Besigye went missing in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi in November 2024. Days later, he was presented before a military tribunal in Kampala to face charges related to threatening national security. The case later was transferred to civilian court and amended as treason, which carries the death penalty.

Museveni’s son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has alleged that Besigye plotted to kill his father. Kainerugaba, Uganda’s top military commander, last week called Besigye “a dead man walking.”

Those urging Besigye’s release on compassionate grounds point out his age, 69, and say he needs to consult with a doctor of his choice and not the government-appointed medics available at the maximum-security facility where he is held.

Besigye once was a trusted ally of Museveni in the guerrilla war that propelled the president to power in 1986, and served as Museveni’s personal doctor and military assistant.

He later became a fierce critic of the president, condemning what he saw as a descent into authoritarianism that betrayed the democratic promise of Museveni’s early years. Term and age limits on the presidency have since been scrapped.

Museveni was declared the winner of last month’s election, with more than 71% of the vote, and will now serve a seventh term. His main opponent, the opposition figure known as Bobi Wine, has since gone into hiding, fearing for his safety.

Supporters of detained Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye gather for a prayer to press authorities to free him at Rubaga Cathedral in Kampala, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda)

Supporters of detained Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye gather for a prayer to press authorities to free him at Rubaga Cathedral in Kampala, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda)

FILE - Ugandan opposition leader and four-time presidential candidate Kizza Besigye, stands in the dock at the Makindye Martial Court in Kampala, Uganda, Nov. 20. 2024. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda, File)

Winnie Byanyima, left, UNAIDS chief and wife of detained Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye, talks with leaders during a prayer for him at Rubaga Cathedral in Kampala, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda)

Supporters of detained Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye gather for a prayer to press authorities to free him at Rubaga Cathedral in Kampala, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has ordered nonessential diplomats and their family members at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut to leave Lebanon, a State Department official said Monday, as tensions over Iran rise with the threat of a potentially imminent military strike.

The official said a continuous assessment of the regional security environment determined it was “prudent” to draw down the U.S. Embassy’s footprint so that only essential personnel remain at their posts.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move had not yet been formally announced, said that it is a temporary measure and that the embassy will remain operational.

Lebanon has been the site of numerous Iran-related retaliatory attacks against U.S. facilities, interests and personnel for decades given Tehran's support for and influence with the Hezbollah militant group, which is held responsible for the deadly bombings of the Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983 and an embassy annex in 1984.

As such, changes in the staffing status of the embassy in Beirut have often been seen as a bellwether for potential U.S. or Israeli military action in the region, particularly against Iran. A similar ordered departure was imposed for Beirut and other embassies in the region, including in Iraq, shortly before President Donald Trump ordered military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities last June.

It was unclear if other American embassies in the Middle East would implement similar orders.

Tensions have escalated between the U.S. and Iran as Trump has built up the largest military presence in the Middle East in decades and repeatedly threatened action if Tehran does not negotiate a deal to contain its nuclear program. A second aircraft carrier is heading to the region to join a surge of other American warships and aircraft, offering the Republican president several options for a potential strike even as talks may continue.

Oman’s foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said the U.S. and Iran plan to hold their next round of nuclear talks Thursday in Geneva.

Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, told CBS on Sunday that he expected to meet U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff then and said a “good chance” remained for a diplomatic solution on the nuclear issue.

Araghchi has said a proposed deal would be ready to share within days, and he told CBS that Iran was still working on it.

Asked Friday whether the U.S. could take limited military action as the countries negotiate, Trump said, “I guess I can say I am considering that.” He also told reporters later that Iran “better negotiate a fair deal.”

Indirect talks between the longtime adversaries in recent weeks have made little visible progress. Beyond the nuclear program, Iran has refused to discuss wider U.S. and Israeli demands that it scale back its missile program and sever ties to armed groups.

A second State Department official, also speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that had not been formally announced, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio may delay his intended visit to Israel this weekend.

Iranian protesters hold placards and portraits as they demonstrate in front of United Nations office ahead of indirect nuclear talks between the United States and Iran in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)