After the United States, the United Kingdom and the UN, the European Parliament is also preparing to ask for the repeal of the law criminalizing homosexuality in Uganda in a resolution which will be examined this Wednesday in plenary session. Sanctions against Ugandan officials will be demanded by Parliament if the law is enacted.
With our special correspondent in Strasbourg, Daniel Vallot
The resolution denounces in the strongest terms the law passed by the Ugandan Parliament, and asks President Yoweri Museveni not to promulgate it. The text criminalizes the mere fact of having homosexual relations.
For the Renew MEP, Pierre Karleskind, who is defending the resolution before the Parliament of Strasbourg, this law contravenes all the international conventions for the defense of human rights. “ It means that just the fact of being homosexual can lead you to a prison sentence, including a very long prison sentence and the law even provides for the death penalty in the event of aggravated homosexuality… Go figure, what it means asks the MEP.
” It’s a real health disaster. »
” It means that people will hide, will live in a situation where they can be blackmailed, will live in a situation where they will not be able to admit a certain number of thingsworries the MEP. So we know that in health terms, especially for the prevention of the HIV epidemic, it is a real subject, it is a real health catastrophe that is looming before us because of this kind of discriminatory law. »
The draft resolution encourages European diplomacy to take up the subject and do everything possible to obtain the withdrawal of the law. It also provides for sanctions against Uganda if the text were nevertheless to be promulgated by President Yoweri Museveni. Sanctions that would be directed against the political and religious leaders of the country who supported the text of the law.
► To read also: Uganda: international outcry after the vote of a very repressive law against homosexuals