Hearing in petitions filed before Uganda’s Constitutional Court challenging the recently passed anti-gay law in the country commenced on Monday, with the petitioners labelling the law as “draconian, inhumane, and a grave violation of universal human rights.”

The petitioners, comprising individuals and human rights organizations, are contending that the law was passed without meaningful public participation, and infringed upon constitutional rights and freedoms.

They argue that the legal and parliamentary affairs committee conducted inadequate scrutiny and failed to facilitate sufficient public inputs, asserting that the law violates constitutional rights, including the right to equality, non-discrimination, dignity, privacy, health, freedom of expression, and association.

The petitioners also describe the law as a tragic violation of universal human rights.

One of the lawyers for the petitioners, who spoke on the lawsuit, said:

“Our prayer is that this petition is heard and disposed of as quickly as possible because there are people whose lives are in danger. There are people whose very life depends on the outcome of this petition.”

The Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA), which was signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni in May, is seen as one of the world’s harshest anti-gay laws, with punishment up to the death penalty for some same-sex acts.

The law also imposes severe penalties for “aggravated homosexuality,” which can involve sexual acts with children or vulnerable individuals. It also applies to cases of forced same-sex relations, life-long infections like HIV, or repeated offences.

Since the law was passed, not less than six people have been charged under the law, with rights groups saying the suspects have been subjected to torture, beaten and arrested, while LGBTQ people have faced eviction and intimidation because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

In August, a 20-year-old man became the first person to be prosecuted for aggravated homosexuality and currently risks a death penalty.

The controversy surrounding the academic records of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu may finally be put to rest after a United States district court ordered the Chicago State University (CSU) to release the records to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, by Tuesday.

Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the disputed Nigerian election of February 25, had filed a motion last week seeking the release of Tinubu’s records in the institution to him to aid his appeal of Tinubu’s election victory at the Nigerian Supreme Court.

The PDP candidate had requested the documents for use in Nigerian courts to support his argument that Tinubu forged a certificate he claimed to have obtained from CSU in 1979 and submitted to Nigeria’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for the 2023 presidential election.

But Tinubu, in a counter motion, had urged the court to refrain from releasing his academic records to Atiku as that would mean a breach of his fundamental human rights.

But in a ruling on Saturday, the presiding judge of the Northern District of Illinois, Nancy Maldonado dismissed Tinubu’s objection, issuing a two-day ultimatum to CSU to release the documents to Atiku, which will elapse on Tuesday.

According to the judge, CSU must complete all necessary filings regarding the release by 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Maldonado also upheld the ruling of the Unites States Magistrate Judge, Jeffery Gilbert, who had ordered CSU to release Tinubu’s academic records as requested by Atiku, stressing that Atiku had the right to have access to the records.

“For the reasons stated in the Court’s accompanying Memorandum Opinion and Order, the Court overrules President Tinubu’s objections (44) and adopts Judge Gilbert’s recommended decision (40) in full,” Maldonado ruled.

“The Court therefore grants Mr. Abubakar’s application under 28 U.S.C. § 1782. [1],” Justice Maldonado added.

Reading her ruling further, she said:

“Respondent CSU is directed to produce all relevant and non-privileged documents in response to Requests for Production Nos. 1 through 4 (as narrowed by Judge Gilbert and adopted by the District Court in its opinion) in Mr. Abubakar’s subpoena, by 12:00 p.m. (noon) CDT, on Monday, October 2, 2023.

“The Rule 30(b)(6) deposition of CSU’s corporate designee must be completed by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.”