The Ugandan press is reporting that the Police in Uganda have arrested five people suspected of so called “promotion” of the act of homosexuality.
Apparently the the five were arrested during the course of a week, after a tip off by local residents, who accused the suspects of moving within the schools in the Pader district, “promoting the practice.”
According to The Monitor: It has been alleged that the suspects were “carrying out clandestine movements in both primary and secondary schools in the district luring the pupils and students into the practice.”
The report went on to note:
“The OC Pader Central Police Station, Mr Romeo Ojara Onek, confirmed the arrest, adding that police are still investigating the matter. He said among the arrested suspects include two businessmen, one teacher, and two students who are allegedly recruiting and promoting the act. “The suspects’ medical report is out and their files have been forwarded to the Resident State Attorney for advice, pending prosecution,” Mr Onek said.”
The Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni signed the new Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2014 (AHA) into law in February of this year.
Just yesterday, after the U.S. and the international community had invoked sanctions against Uganda for the abusive nature of the AHA, the Ugandan Government attempted to re-state the law in an obvious attempt to quell their “development partners.” The statement noted that the law had been misinterpreted, and that people would be treated equally and that their privacy would be respected, emphasizing that the point of the legislation was to “protect children” from promotion of homosexuality. READ MORE
UPDATED 7/11/2014 via
Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF) clarified incorrect that the arrests were old and under Old Penal Code, indicates the incorrectness of Monitor report and possible purposeful incitement by press.
1. It is true that five people including a minor were arrested in Pader on allegations of homosexuality. The arrests took place on 26th and 27th of June 2014. The five persons are: an 18 year old who was the original complainant, a 34 year old businessman; a 16 year old student who stays with the businessman, and a 21 year old and a 30 year old.
2. The background to the case is that one of the arrested persons, the now 18 year old (who was a minor at the time the case was first reported) was arrested on 10th October 2013 for attempted suicide. When asked about the reasons for attempting suicide, he stated that his employer with whom he had been staying had started acting violent towards him. That they had been living together for sometime as ‘husband and wife’ but he had turned violent after he had accused him of stealing his money. That is why he attempted to take his life by stabbing himself. The Police did not arrest the employer at that point. On or around 25th June 2014 he once again stabbed himself and he was arrested by the Police. He repeated the story and that is when the Police arrested the other four.
3. They were not charged with any offence but statements were taken from them.
4. They were subjected to anal exams which were inconclusive.
5. The file was forwarded to the Resident State Attorney who did not advise on any charge but instead sent the file back to the police commenting that there was no evidence of any offence related to homosexuality.
6. The police released all the persons who had been arrested on Police Bond. The file however remains open and ‘investigations’ are ongoing.
7. On the allegations of promotion of homosexuality, no one was charged with this, and the Headmaster of the school denies that there are cases of recruitment that have been heard in the school. The Police also do not mention any facts on which this was based.
Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF)”
Reblogged this on Voice of Lesbian Senior and commented:
Here you have it! There was no “misunderstanding” of the law …. there IS persecution!!
Thanks for this information Melanie.
We must keep the pressure on Musevini’s dictatorial government. No more $$$ from UK, USA and Canada until this law is struck down!
Uganda Arrests under Anti-Homosexuality Legislation
When you wrote that headline, was it your firm belief that the arrests were made under the new Anti-homosexuality Act? That is a simple question with no hidden motive!
In the Monitor article to which you refer, there is a Disqus comment by Emmanueil B Turinawe:
Are they going to be charged using the current law which government recently said “wasn’t yet operational and they are finalizing operational guidelines”
I am trying to keep track of what GoU is up to, and at the moment it appears to me that its new Act is completely ready for unleashing, but that in fact not a single person has been charged under it, and that the old legislation is still being used. Simple question: have I got that right?
READ the clarification update. I think the Monitor is purposely inciting anti-gay sentiment under the new law though how could they NOT have knonw this was an old arrest. Are they THAT incompetent. Many of us picked this up ONLY from Monitor and as my article clearly reads – This is a report from Ugandan Press. The reports from people in ground came in that indeed it was an old arrest.