Anti-gay law
Uganda rights activists challenge anti-gay law in court
A group of Uganda rights activists on Tuesday petitioned the country's Constitutional Court to overturn a recent law criminalizing the promotion and recognition of homosexual relations. President Yoweri Museveni signed the bill into law last month, which imposes life sentences for those convicted of "aggravated homosexuality." The petitioners, led by the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law, said that the law's passage has resulted in violence and retaliation against gays. In additional to having the law declared unconstitutional, petitioners are also seeking to block media outlets from publishing names of people suspected of homosexuality.
The controversial bill has garnered international criticism since its introduction in 2009. It was approved by parliament in December. The legislation originally called for the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality," but that provision was dropped in 2012.
(Published by Jurist – March 11, 2014)