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UGANDA: Death-penalty-for-LBGTQ+ law passed

UGANDA: Death-penalty-for-LBGTQ+ law passed

UGANDA'S President Yoweri Museveni signed one of the world's toughest anti-LGBTQ laws, including the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality", drawing Western condemnation and risking sanctions from aid donors. Same-sex relations were already illegal in Uganda, as in more than 30 African countries, but the new law goes further. It stipulates capital punishment for "serial offenders" against the law and transmission of a terminal illness like HIV/AIDS through gay sex. It also decrees a 20-year sentence for "promoting" homosexuality. "The Ugandan president has today legalised state-sponsored homophobia and transphobia," said Clare Byarugaba, a Ugandan rights activist. United States President Joe Biden called the move "a…
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Uganda passes draconian anti-LGBTQ+ law

Uganda passes draconian anti-LGBTQ+ law

UGANDA'S parliament passed one of the world's strictest anti-LGBTQ bills mostly unchanged, including provision for long jail terms and the death penalty, after the president requested some parts of the original legislation be toned down. The new bill retains most of the harshest measures of the legislation adopted in March, which drew condemnation from the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and major corporations. The provisions retained in the new bill allow for the death penalty in cases of so-called "aggravated homosexuality", a term the government uses to describe actions including having gay sex when HIV-positive. It allows a 20-year…
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‘Great first step’ as Sudan lifts death penalty and flogging for gay sex

‘Great first step’ as Sudan lifts death penalty and flogging for gay sex

BAN BARKAWI and RACHEL SAVAGE SUDAN's decision to lift the death penalty and flogging as punishment for gay sex was hailed by LGBT+ activists on Thursday as a promising sign after almost four decades of Islamist rule, with calls for prison sentences to be abolished as well. Others criticised the relaxation of the law in conservative Sudan, where a transitional government has promised to lead the country to democracy after the toppling last year of autocrat Omar al-Bashir, who had been in power since 1989. "These amendments are still not enough but they're a great first step for the transitional…
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Bangladeshi protestors say death penalty not the answer to rise in rape

Bangladeshi protestors say death penalty not the answer to rise in rape

NAIMUL KARIM PROTESTORS took to Dhaka's streets to demand action on rising rape cases in Bangladesh, saying a new law that expanded the use of the death penalty was not enough to bring about real change. Women's rights campaigners are demanding a root and branch reform of the legal system and more education to address what they say is a rising incidence of violence against women in Bangladesh. Earlier this month, the government changed the law to make rape committed by a single person punishable by death following protests triggered by an online video showing a group of men sexually…
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Motor racing-Hamilton says Bahrain ‘death row’ letter hit home

Motor racing-Hamilton says Bahrain ‘death row’ letter hit home

ALAN BALDWIN LEWIS Hamilton said he had been moved by a letter from the son of a man facing the death penalty in Bahrain and assured activists on Saturday he would not let rights issues go unnoticed. Campaigners sent letters to the seven-times Formula One world champion last month before the first of two grands prix in Bahrain. In them, they urged Hamilton to meet activists, wear a T-shirt with a message of support and discuss matters with the Crown Prince. Hamilton had said he needed time to digest the content of the letters. Asked for an update ahead of…
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