A judge in Uganda on Monday agreed to
postpone the trial of a British man accused of “trafficking obscene
materials.”
According
to the AP, Bernard Randall's lawyer, Annette Bada, said that she
needed extra time to mount a defense in requesting that the trial be
postponed. A judge granted the request and set a new court date of
December 4.
The charges stem from the publication
of images of Randall having sex with another man.
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 retired 65-year-old former computer
analyst from Faversham and his Ugandan partner, 30-year-old Albert
Cheptoyek, were 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.
“I'm completely innocent,” Randall
told reporters, “but I have no faith in the Ugandan judicial
system.”
Randall said he feared he would be
deported.
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.