In a preliminary hearing, Uganda’s Constitutional Court has begun the process of considering a challenge to the Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA), a law that has been widely condemned by rights activists and Western governments. President Yoweri Museveni signed the AHA into law in May, making it one of the world’s strictest anti-gay laws and introducing the death penalty as punishment for certain same-sex acts. The lawyers representing the organizations that are contesting the law appeared before the court registrar and agreed to reconvene on October 12. At this session, the judges will determine a hearing date for the case, according to Nicholas Opiyo, one of the attorneys involved in the proceedings.
Opiyo stated, “Our hope is that this petition will be heard and resolved expeditiously because there are individuals whose lives are at risk. There are individuals…who are in a life-or-death situation depending on the outcome of this petition.”
Since the law was enacted, at least six people have been arrested and charged under its provisions. Human rights organizations have reported numerous cases of torture, eviction, and intimidation against LGBTQ individuals throughout this year.
It is important to note that HTML tags have been added to the original news article.
If you would like to read more, refer to the original article.
Source: The Star
Date: October 2, 2023
Credit: The Star : News Feed
