Ugandan opposition veteran Kizza Besigye has appeared in court on treason charges, telling the judge proceedings cannot continue while his lawyers fear for their safety — a concern that deepened after one of his lead attorneys was arrested earlier this month. Besigye has been held in detention since he was abducted in neighbouring Kenya last year. The crackdown is being driven by General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of President Yoweri Museveni and head of the Ugandan army, who has ordered a string of arrests targeting activists, politicians and lawyers, and this weekend extended the assault to one of East Africa's largest independent media groups, whose newspapers, television and radio stations were shut down by soldiers.