US President Joe Biden has slammed Uganda’s draconian new law against homosexuality as a grave human rights violation and threatened to cut aid and investment in the east African country.
He called for the immediate repeal of the tough new measures, which state among other things that “engaging in acts of homosexuality” in Uganda would be an offence punishable with life imprisonment.
The bill was signed into law by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni yesterday, sparking international condemnation.
The new law does not criminalise those who identify as LGBTQ but still prescribes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality”, which is defined as cases of sexual relations involving people infected with HIV as well as with minors and other categories of vulnerable people.
A suspect convicted of “attempted aggravated homosexuality” can be jailed for up to 14 years, according to the legislation.