Sudan has repealed the death penalty
for people who engage in consensual sex with a person of the same
sex.
The Sudanese Penal Code previously
prescribed death or life imprisonment for people convicted of sodomy
three times.
Gay sex remains a crime in Sudan and
violators may face up to seven years in prison, the Washington
Blade reported. Lashings have also been removed.
Sudan's Sovereignty Council approved
the changes.
Noor Sultan, executive director of the
Bedayaa Organization, which promotes LGBT rights in Sudan and Egypt,
told the
Blade:
“It is a great step toward change and reflects the willingness of
the government. The law is still there and the jail sentence is still
there, but we are optimistic.”
The Sovereignty Council also approved
other reforms to the Sudanese Penal Code, Maria Sjödin, executive
director of OutRight Action International, said in a statement.
“The removal of the death penalty for
same-sex intimacy in Sudan among other important reforms, such as the
banning of female genital mutilation and stoning for apostasy, is an
important step for the human rights of LGBTIQ people, and human
rights in Sudan overall,” said Sjödin.