16 Men Detained In Uganda Over Suspected Homosexuality
- By
- Carlos Santoscoy
- | October 24, 2019
Police in Uganda have detained 16 men on suspicion of homosexuality and human trafficking.
According to the AP, the men were arrested in a suburb of Kampala, the nation's capital, on Monday as they were being hosted by a rights group.
A police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the men were detained following a “complaint from the public.”
The arrests happened as rumors swirl that the government is planning to introduce the death penalty for gay sex.
In 2013, Uganda approved a similar bill, dubbed the “Kill the Gays” bill. The nation's highest court struck down the law on a technicality.
While the government has denied such a plan exists, the United States and the European Union, major donors of aid to Uganda, have said that they oppose the legislation.
Uganda's colonial-era penal code criminalizes gay sex with up to life in prison. The new bill is expected to also prohibit “attempted homosexuality” and “promotion of homosexuality.”