Unconfirmed reports are being made that at least six LGBT people have been stoned to death in Uganda, after the Country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA) was annulled.
By Newsdesk | 18th August 2014
We are in the process of validating this story - to read the full statement by the Friends New Underground Railroad, please click here.
Ugandan LGBT activists have reported that at least 6 gay, lesbian and transgender individuals have been killed in rural areas of the African nation.
Three gay men, two lesbians and one transgender person were allegedly amongst the victims.
‘One who survived (still breathing after stoning) was burnt alive using kerosene / paraffin and a matchbox,’ a witness and a source to the Friends New Underground Railroad FNUR, a Quaker solidarity imitative helping LGBT people in Uganda, stated, according to this press statement.
A seventh gay man was reported to have been attacked, by a mob. He died from his injuries a day later.
According to the source, a rural vigilant mob attacked the 28-year-old gay man in a different zone on August 5th. ‘I went to the scene,’ wrote the eyewitness in an email. ‘I saved him, when I lied to the mob that let me take him to the police.’
The witness stated that he was able to convince the mob he would deliver the victim to the police, but instead put him on a boda boda, (motorcycle) and rescued him. The victim was later denied medical care, he alleged, because he lacked funds to pay.’
The news comes after around 200 LGBT activists and allies celebrated the annulment of the AHA.
However 215 of 375 MPs have already signed a petition to reintroduce and ‘fast-track’ a revised law.
‘I am confident we shall have the bill retabled and passed into law overwhelmingly,’ MP Latif Ssebaggala told IRIN News.
The repealed AHA calls for up a 14 years sentence for anyone found guilty of “homosexual acts” and a life sentence for those convicted of “aggravated” offenses – such as those committed by HIV-positive individuals, or involving the disabled, minors or serial offenders.
The promotion of homosexuality is outlawed, and citizens have been urged in the media to denounce and ferret out presumed LGBT people.
A wave of evictions has also followed, as families and landlords kicked out LGBT individuals, fearing arrest themselves under the AHA.
TheGayUK hasn't been able to confirm these reports.
We reached out to FNUR for comment on whether the accusations were true, a statement from the organisation stated,
'The press release is by Anne-christine d'Adesky, Founder of Safe Passage Fund - with input from Friends New Underground Railroad.
'We are aware that there are claims that that "there is no truth to the claims made in the release."
'We - the Quakers in Olympia, WA and the activists we support in Uganda - all understand the importance of corroborating the work they are doing. FNUR reports as much information as we can and operate this project as transparently as we are able - while protecting the identities of those whose work we support. They are on the ground working to save others. The safety and well being of the activists/conductors and their passengers is our reason for creating FNUR and it is our only consideration. We respect and follow what the security team and others we work with in Uganda ask us to reveal or not to media folks and others.'
In our latest issue, TheGayUK has interviewed a gay Ugandan man about life for LGBTs in his Country. Download today from iTunes or Android to read the full story.
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