Kampala - A Ugandan
court on Monday ordered the release of 19 LGBT+ people jailed
for almost 50 days for risking spreading the new coronavirus
after public prosecutors withdrew the charges.
The 13 gay men, two bisexual men and four transgender women
were arrested on March 29 when police raided an LGBT+ shelter on
the outskirts of Kampala. Police said they were violating social
distancing rules banning gatherings of more than 10 people.
Human rights groups said authorities were using the
restrictions to target sexual minorities in the east African
nation, where gay sex carries a life sentence and homophobia and
the persecution of LGBT+ people are widespread.
The ruling by the magistrate's court said the Director of
Public Prosecutions (DPP) had withdrawn the charge of "doing a
neglect act likely to spread infection of disease" against the
group and ordered that they be released from prison.
"It is the right decision for the DPP to withdraw the
charges since it was a targeted arrest with trumped up charges,"
said Patricia Kimera, a lawyer from the Human Rights Awareness
and Promotion Forum (HRAPF) who is representing the group.
Kimera said HRAPF had asked the DPP to dismiss the case as
the charges were unfounded. The ban on gatherings pertained to
public places and not shelters, she said.
Officials from the DPP's office were not immediately
available for comment on why the charges were dropped.
Lawyers will serve the release order to the prison today,
said Kimera, adding that she was concerned about the health of
some members of group after visiting them in prison on Friday.
She said they looked weak and some reported symptoms of
malaria and typhoid. Some are HIV-positive and did not have
their medication, she added.
The March arrests are the latest in a series of incidents
targeting sexual minorities in Uganda.
In October last year, a minister proposed introducing the
death penalty for gay sex. The government denied it had any
plans to do so after condemnation from international donors.
Attacks on LGBT+ people rose after the minister's comments,
including the arrest of activists from their office and
residence, and a raid on a gay-friendly bar that led to the
arrest of 67 people.
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the UNAIDS said
there had been reports of murders, arrests and violence against
LGBT+ people in countries including Puerto Rico, Egypt, Uganda,
Cameroon and South Korea.
"Arbitrary and discriminatory arrests and harassment of
LGBTI people must stop," said UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie
Byanyima in a statement marking International Day against
Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on Sunday.
"The Covid-19 crisis has exposed and exacerbated the
inequality, violence and abuse that LGBTI people face every day.
We need to break the silence against these draconian laws, which
only serve to further marginalize people."