The European Parliament yesterday adopted a resolution condemning a proposed law in Uganda that would make homosexuality punishable by death and would impose prison terms of up to three years for any person who fails to report (within 24 hours) the identities of everyone they know who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
UK Green MEP Jean Lambert, who is a Member of the European Parliament's cross-party Intergroup on LGBT rights, commented:
"I am profoundly shocked by the parliamentary bill in Uganda, which proposes to introduce the death penalty for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender and imprisonment for those who do not denounce others. The proposal in the Ugandan Parliament goes against the most fundamental principles of human rights and democracy. It is indefensible to threaten people's lives on grounds of who they are.
"I welcome the European Parliament's condemnation of the proposed law and call for the EU to take a strong stance on worrying developments elsewhere.
In Rwanda, amendments have been submitted to the penal code with a view to criminalising homosexuality, as well as any activity which could be seen as promoting it."
Jean Lambert MEP recently wrote to the Ugandan High Commission to raise issues of concern with regards to the proposed law, including over human rights and the ability for NGOs to operate in the country.
For the full text of the resolution see:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=RC-B7-02
59/2009&language=EN