Ahead of the opening of his trial in
Uganda, a British gay man has maintained he is innocent.
Bernard Randall, a retired 65-year-old
former computer analyst from Faversham, and his Ugandan partner,
30-year-old Albert Cheptoyek, were arrested in their Ugandan home
following the publication of images of the couple having sex.
The government has charged Randall with
“trafficking obscene materials” and Cheptoyek with “acts of
gross indecency.” Each faces up to 2 and 7 years in prison,
respectively.
Randall told the UK's The
Independent that the photos landed in the hands of the tabloid
newspaper that published them after his laptop was stolen. He called
the charges “nonsensical.”
The couple was dragged from their home
at 6:30 in the morning and kept in cells with 18 other criminals for
3 days before they were charged.
Randall maintained his innocence in an
interview with
the AFP.
“I'm completely innocent,” Randall
said from his front porch, “but I have no faith in the Ugandan
judicial system.“
“I have the worst fears I'll be
deported. So I won't be able to come back. So that shatters my
dreams. Even worse really is actually going into prison. 'Cause it
was bad enough being in the cells in the police station. Being in
prison, well that horrifies me; the thought of that.”
Uganda is notorious for its harsh
anti-gay laws. In 2009, an Ugandan lawmaker introduced a bill that
proposed the death penalty for people who engage in gay sex. The
Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which has yet to become law, has attracted
worldwide condemnation and protests.