Uganda

The European Parliament has today adopted a resolution condemning a planned law in Uganda that would make homosexuality punishable by death and would impose prison terms of up to three years for any person who fails to report (within 24 hours) the identities of everyone they know who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

UK Green MEP Jean Lambert commented:

"I am profoundly shocked by the parliamentary bill in Uganda, which proposes to introduce the death penalty for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) and imprisonment for those who do not denounce others. The proposal in the Ugandan Parliament goes against the most fundamental principles of human rights and democracy. It is indefensible to threaten people's lives on grounds of who they are.

I welcome Parliament's condemnation of the proposed law and call for the EU to take a strong stance on worrying developments elsewhere. In Rwanda, amendments have been submitted to the penal code with a view to criminalise homosexuality as well as any activity of promotion and sensitisation on the issue."

Austrian Green MEP Ulrike Lunacek, Greens/EFA foreign affairs spokesperson and Co-President of the EP's LGBT Intergroup, commented:

"I am very pleased that the European Parliament has condemned Uganda's plan to introduce the death penalty on grounds of sexual orientation. The anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda is a legal assault against human dignity. It also stands in clear contradiction to international human rights provisions to which Uganda has signed up, including in the Cotonou Agreement with the EU.

I will use all my contacts to Uganda in order to prevent the bill from becoming law. Homosexuality is not "un-African" as some African leaders claim, but has been and will be a universal feature of human life. LGBT people need protection and acceptance, not hate legislation."