Today Uganda’s constitutional court commenced the hearing of three petitions challenging the anti-LGBTQ laws that came into effect in May 2023 following the unanimous voting of the Parliament.
The law imposed very stringent sentence for those convicted of same-sex intimate relationship including death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” – which involves sex with children or vulnerable people.
Aggravated sex also extends to a situation where an individual is forced to have same-sex relations, contracts a life-long infection including HIV or in cases of serial offenders.
The human right organizations, argue that the law was passed without adequate and meaningful public participation and also violates some constitutional rights and freedoms.
The law has been described as draconian, inhumane and a tragic violation of universal human rights.
The petitioners in the case claimed that the legal and parliamentary affairs committee took a very short time to scrutinize and did not facilitate sufficient public participation.
They also said that the law is in violation of constitutional rights and freedoms including the right to equality and non-discrimination, the right to dignity, privacy, health, freedom of expression and association.
In August, a 20-year-old man became the first person to be prosecuted for aggravated homosexuality and risks a death penalty.
A recent report said there had been over 300 human rights abuses against LGBTQ+ people occurred in Uganda in 2023
Rights groups say people have been tortured, beaten, arrested citing their sexual orientation and gender identity.
