Ugandan activists describe months of physical abuse in prison

Reports by supporters of opposition politician Robert Kyagulanyi will increase pressure on president over human rights

Opposition activists who spent months behind bars in Uganda have described systematic physical abuse, denial of basic legal rights and appalling conditions as they waited for trial on charges they claim were fabricated.

The experiences of the activists, revealed to the Guardian after their release last month, will increase pressure on Uganda, a key western ally in east Africa, over human rights failings that have grown significantly worse since the country's president, Yoweri Museveni, started to face a significant political challenge in recent years.