A Kenyan appeals court on Thursday banned the use of forced anal exams to test whether two men had gay sex.

Gay sex is a crime in Kenya and violators face up to 14 years in prison.

The case involves two men accused of being gay in 2015. The men were subjected to forced anal exams and HIV tests to determine their sexuality.

Judge Alnashir Visram called the tests a violation of human rights.

The men were represented by the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, which argued that anal exams amount to torture, the AP reported.

“The ruling is a tremendous step not only in upholding the dignity of homosexuals who'd been subjected to the indignities of anal examinations but also to the rule of law in Kenya,” said the group's executive director, Eric Gitari.

According to Human Rights Watch, at least eight countries have used such exams since 2010, including Cameroon, Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Zambia and Kenya.