A 20-year-old man in Uganda could face
the death penalty for violating the African nation's law that
prohibits gay sex.
According to the AP, the suspect is
described as a “peasant” from the eastern district of Soroti. He
was charged on August 18 with having unlawful sexual intercourse with
another man.
The suspect is the first to be charged
with aggravated homosexuality since the law's enactment in May.
Western nations called on President
Yoweri Museveni not to sign the law and threatened to withhold aid if
he did. The pressure campaign worked to remove language that
criminalized identifying as LGBTQ from the final bill that Museveni
signed.
(Related: World
Bank suspends new loans to Uganda over anti-LGBTQ law.)
Authorities claim that the men had sex
at a sports stadium in Soroti. No other details were given.
Gay sex is outlawed in more than 30 of
Africa's 54 countries.