KAMPALA – Ugandan human rights advocates have appealed to the Supreme Court against a lower court’s decision to uphold a severe anti-homosexuality law that includes the death penalty for certain same-sex acts.
The activists argued that the law violated fundamental rights and was unconstitutional, but the constitutional court only nullified a few sections. The law has led to numerous violations against sexual minorities in Uganda, with over 1,000 cases of arrests, torture, and evictions recorded in the past nine months.
The petitioners’ lawyer, Nicholas Opiyo, expressed optimism for an expedited hearing of the case in the Supreme Court.
Petitioners in Uganda, including a lawmaker and LGBTQ rights campaigner Frank Mugisha, are challenging the country’s anti-gay laws in court, arguing that the legislation violates human dignity and protection from inhumane treatment.
The laws in Uganda criminalize same-sex intercourse with penalties ranging from life imprisonment to the death sentence for aggravated homosexuality, along with up to 20 years in jail for promoting homosexuality.
The West, including the United States and the World Bank, has criticized and taken actions against Uganda for these laws, with sanctions imposed on officials and a halt in new lending.
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