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.