Ugandan Court Dismisses First Case Under Controversial Anti-Gay Law
A Ugandan court has thrown out the first prosecution under the country’s controversial Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, a decision hailed by rights activists as a significant relief after a year-long detention without trial, according to a lawyer who spoke to AFP.
The law, passed in 2023, prescribes severe penalties for consensual same-sex relations, including life imprisonment.
It also introduces the offence of “aggravated homosexuality”, which is punishable by death.
The case, filed three months after the law came into force, involved a man who is now 25 years old.
He was accused of “unlawful sexual intercourse with… (a) male adult aged 41”, an offence that carries the death penalty under the Act.
The accused spent about 350 days in custody.
In January 2024, prosecutors amended the charge to “unnatural offences of having carnal knowledge against the order of nature”, which attracts a possible life sentence, his lawyer, Douglas Mawadri, told AFP.
However, the court on Monday dismissed the case.
According to Mawadri, the judge ruled that the accused was mentally unstable and unable to understand the trial process.
The defence argued that the prolonged detention led to the development of psychosis and schizophrenia.
Reacting to the ruling, LGBTQ activist Richard Lusimbo described the decision as “a major breakthrough which should have come out earlier”.
“Detaining someone for over a year without trial is injustice at its worst,” Lusimbo told AFP.
Uganda, a conservative and predominantly Christian country in East Africa, has long been criticised for its harsh stance against same-sex relationships.
The passage of the anti-gay law sparked widespread condemnation from rights groups, the United Nations and several Western governments.
Following the backlash, the World Bank suspended funding to Uganda before resuming support in mid-2025.
AFP
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
