Police in Uganda have confronted the opposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine during an online press conference where he announced a petition to the international criminal court (ICC) to investigate rights abuses in the country. Journalists watched as an officer appeared to drag Wine from the car while he pleaded that he had broken no law. The singer and opposition leader was announcing he is petitioning the ICC to investigate allegations of torture and other rights abuses in the east African country ahead of next week’s election. The ICC receives hundreds such applications from around the world each year. Wine, arrested many times on various charges but never convicted, now says his life may be in danger. He campaigns while wearing a bulletproof vest and helmet. “I expect a live bullet targeted at me any time,” said Wine, who has sent his children to the United States over safety concerns. When asked by the organiser whether he wanted to end the briefing, he said he felt safer with the cameras on. The confrontation played out hours after the deadly riot in the US Capitol led to questions about whether some governments would be emboldened to push back harder against people invoking democratic ideals like fair elections.

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