Uganda, death penalty for ‘serious homosexuality’

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni – Portal

The President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, has signed into law what is among the most draconian in the world against the LGBTQ+ community. The measure introduces the crime of “aggravated homosexuality,” which carries the death penalty, and provides up to 20 years in prison for advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer rights.

Same-sex relationships have been illegal in Kampala since the country was a British protectorate. However, as time went on, the pressure grew. Same-sex marriages were constitutionally banned in 2005. The new standard bears the signature of Museveni himself. The original text was adopted almost unanimously by Parliament on March 21st. But the president-dictator did not confirm it at the time. He then returned to the Chamber, where he was finally dismissed on May 2 with minor corrections aimed at clarifying that homosexuality was involved Ugandais not a crime: it is illegal to practice it. Clarification making the provision more resilient to attacks by those who might go to court to challenge compliance with the constitution and human rights. It happened back in 2014.

The newly enacted ordinance provides for the death penalty for those who break the law “serially” as well as those who engage in homosexual relationships with minors under the age of 18. Execution or life imprisonment also for carriers of sexually transmitted diseases such as e.gTOID cards. Anita Annet Among, Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament, tweeted triumphantly about the law: “We have answered the cries of our people. We made laws to protect the sanctity of [famiglia]“.

The international community, on the other hand, has spoken out against the squeeze. A UN statement branded the law as “a recipe for systematic violations of the rights of LGBT people,” a move that “urgently requires judicial review as it contradicts international treaties.” The joint statement by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, UNAids and the US President’s AIDS Contingency Plan (Pepfar) warned that Museveni’s tough fist on homosexuals is “significantly jeopardizing” progress made in the fight against HIV because “it exacerbates the stigma and discrimination that impedes access to health services.” The dictator also displeases multinationals and countries that invest in Uganda but may divert aid and development projects elsewhere in protest.

US President Joe Biden spoke of “a tragic violation of universal human rights”, called for the law to be repealed and threatened sanctions and the blocking of various aid and investment programs.

L’homosexuality It’s illegal in 30 other African countries. Lawmakers in Kenya and Tanzania recently announced measures similar to those in Uganda.