A human rights lawyer involved in the case of a prominent Ugandan opposition leader was tortured after being arrested and detained without trial, according to colleagues who visited him.

On January 7, Eron Kiiza was attacked and arrested by soldiers as he entered a military court where he was representing President Yoweri Museveni's political rival Kiiza. ·Dr. Kizza Besigye and his assistant Haji Obeid Lutale.

On the same day, he was found guilty of contempt of court and sentenced to nine months in prison. He was immediately transferred to Kitalia Prison, 34 miles from the capital Kampala.

Human rights groups including Amnesty International and the International Federation for Human Rights have called for Kizza's immediate release. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders said in a statement that the sentence "violates international law, the constitution and Ugandan domestic law."

Kizza showed signs of mental and physical torture, according to Ugandan lawyers Andrew Karamagi and Primah Kwagala, who worked with him and visited him in prison. Most parts of his body, especially his joints, knees, nails, knuckles and head were swollen.

Calamagi said Kizza was recovering from the beating in court and on his way to jail. "It is common practice for (troops) to beat arrestees and he was subjected to the same treatment, which explains the pain in his chest and waist and the bruises I saw when I visited him in prison."

Lieutenant Colonel Deo Akiki, deputy spokesman for the Ugandan Armed Forces, dismissed the torture allegations as "complete rubbish" and said Kizza was "very good". He said Kizza's imprisonment did not violate Ugandan law and his rights had not been violated.

"Our politicians have gone crazy," he added. "They will use whatever means they can to try to smear the government."

Kwagara said the reaction to Kizza's detention was one of "shock and awe" because until last week, lawyers had not been beaten, arrested or detained in the course of their work.

“This arrest is evidence of the breakdown of the rule of law and constitutionalism in Uganda,” she said. "Our Constitutional Court prohibits military courts from dealing with civilians, but this is in vain."

In November, Besigye, a political rival of Museveni who has been in power for nearly 40 years, was kidnapped in neighboring Kenya.

Although he was a civilian, he was returned to Uganda and charged by a military court with illegal possession of firearms and undermining the security of the East African country.

At a court hearing on Monday, treachery, punishable by death, was added to the list of charges.

Besigye's wife, Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS, said the charges against him were politically motivated. His lawyers rejected the accusations as baseless.

Kizza's detention comes amid growing restrictions in the year leading up to the election.

“It is foreseeable and understandable that the repression will only intensify,” Kalamaji said. "It's going to get worse."