Six gay men were refused bail by a court in Jinja, Uganda after they were charged with having intercourse that was reportedly caught on camera.
The court was informed that the 17-second video had become popular on social media.
“The 20 to 26-year-old men should be imprisoned for their own protection, on the grounds that they may not be safe in public,” the court said on Tuesday.
“It is our mandate as the court to protect the accused. Releasing them to a biased society cannot guarantee their safety, so prison is their safe place,’’ the judge ruled.
The prosecution team asserts that the suspects are part of a network that grooms young boys for sodomising behaviour and enlists gay men as recruits.
The guys were allegedly caught making pornographic and sex recordings, “which they normally share with other parties for money,” according to the prosecution.
On April 4, the same court filed charges of indecency and procuring gross indecency against a senior instructor and her claimed lesbian girlfriend. They were held without bail until April 20.
LGBTQ Rights in Uganda
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ) people in Uganda confront significant legal obstacles, active discrimination, state persecution, and stigmatisation that are not faced by non-LGBT citizens. In Uganda, homosexual behaviour by men and women is prohibited. The Criminal Code imposes a potential life sentence for two males who have “carnal knowledge against the order of nature.”
The Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014, was passed in 2013 and annulled in 2014. The act carried a punishment of life in prison for “aggravated homosexuality.” The law brought Uganda into the international spotlight and caused international outrage, with many governments refusing to provide further aid to the African country. Nonetheless, in May 2021, the outgoing parliament further criminalised sex work and same-sex sexual activity.
In March 2023, Uganda’s parliament passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act, which criminalises individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ with up to 20 years in prison and the death penalty for “aggravated” gay sex. The law forbids both the support and encouragement of homosexuality as well as plans to commit homosexual conduct.