Ugandan Court Upholds Anti-LGBTQ Rights 1

Ugandan Court Upholds Anti-LGBTQ Rights

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Uganda’s Constitutional Court refused to suspend an Anti-LGBTQ law that includes the death penalty for same-sex acts. The court voided some provisions which it asserted were inconsistent with specific fundamental human rights.
The law which was adopted last year in May is one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ laws and was condemned by rights campaigners from Western nations. according to activists, the law unleashed abuse against LGBTQ people that includes arrest, eviction, rape and torture.
Lead Judge Richard Buteera read the judgement on behalf of his four colleagues, “We decline to nullify the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 in its entirety, neither will we grant a permanent injunction against its enforcement,” she added, ” We, however, declare that Section 3 (2)C, 9, 11 (2)d and 14 of the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 violate the right health, privacy and freedom to religion, which rights are respectively recognised in the universal declaration. This petition substantially fails with the following orders: Sections 3 (2)C, 9, 11 (2) d and 14 of the Anti-Homosexuality Act are hereby struck down. Each party bears its own costs. It’s so ordered,”
Ugandan Court Upholds Anti-LGBTQ Rights 2
The court struck down some sections terming them as “inconsistent with the right to health, privacy and freedom of religion”.Sections of the act that were voided failed to report same-sex acts and criminalised the renting of premises for the use of gay acts. Under the Anti-homosexuality Act citizens were obligated to report anybody suspected of engaging in homosexual acts. The court found that this requirement violates individual rights.
Edward Ssemambo, a human rights lawyer reiterated that the government will need to delete these sections from the law. UNHCR’s Volker Turk shared that about 600 people reported having been subjected to a violation of their human rights and abuses based on their gender identity since the enaction of the act last year. In a statement, he said, “It must be repealed in its entirety or unfortunately this number will only rise,”.
The ruling is already part of a growing anti-gay crackdown in the continent. In February, Ghana passed an anti-gay law and intensified restrictions on LGBTQ people’s rights.
Ugandan Court Upholds Anti-LGBTQ Rights 3 440

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