The ICJ today deplored the violent killing yesterday of David Kato, a Ugandan human rights defender and LGBT activist.
The ICJ called on the Ugandan authorities to take immediate steps to investigate the crime and to bring those responsible to justice in a fair trial.
Uganda-killingofhrd-news-2011 (full text, PDF)
A introduced in the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Congo would criminalize “homosexuality” as a sexual practice against nature.
All forms of expression and advocacy related to homosexuality and same-sex sexual conduct would also become criminal.
The ICJ has just released this report analyzing the bill in terms of the DRC’s obligations under international human rights law as well as its own Constitution.
DRC-lgbt-advocacy-2010-fra (full text in French, PDF)
En octobre 2010, le député Evariste Ejiba Yamapia a présenté devant l’Assemblée nationale de la République Démocratique du Congo une proposition de loi intitulée « Proposition de loi relative aux pratiques sexuelles contre nature ».
L’exposé des motifs de la proposition mentionne qu’il est nécessaire de réviser le code pénal congolais afin de criminaliser « les pratiques sexuelles contre nature », qui sont définies dans la proposition de loi comme la zoophilie et l’homosexualité. L’homosexualité est décrite comme « une menace à la famille » et « une abomination ».
Le texte de la proposition contient plusieurs articles criminalisant « les relations homosexuelles » ainsi que la zoophilie, et rendant illégales toutes formes de promotion, défense ou expression publique relatives aux « relations sexuelles contre nature ».
La CIJ est convaincue que, si elle venait à être adoptée, cette loi violerait les obligations de la République Démocratique du Congo tirées des traités relatifs au droit international des droits de l’Homme auxquels le pays est partie, ainsi que sa propre Constitution.
La proposition représente une menace grave non seulement pour les individu(e)s homosexuel(le)s sur le territoire de la République Démocratique du Congo, mais aussi pour les organisations de la société civile et défenseurs des droits de l’Homme travaillant dans de nombreux domaines.
DRC-lgbt-advocacy-2010-fra (full text in French, PDF)
The ICJ brought the attention of UN Special Procedures to the recent arrest in Cameroon of two men for suspected homosexuality.
Bruno Afaaba (DOB 26/10/1984) and Marc-Henri Batta (DOB 3/9/1982) were arrested 27 September, 2010 by officers of the First Squadron of the Gendarmerie in Yaoundé.
The arrest came after a search of their house revealed a large batch of condoms and lubricant. The two men were detained and on 4 October 2010 they were forced to undergo anal exams to confirm, in the words of the commander of the gendarmerie, their suspected sexual activity.
According to one of their lawyers, Maître André Nlend, Mr. Afaaba and Mr. Batta were not advised of their right to remain silent or to counsel, and were in fact handcuffed during the medical exam. They are currently being held in Kodengui Prison.
Cameroon-Special Procedures-open letter-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
The ICJ and the Zimbabwe Advocacy Office (ZAO) is inviting government representatives, civil society and human rights experts to a dialogue on the growing phenomenon of multi-party transitional governments, election-related violence and the protection of human rights in Africa.
The dialogue, focusing on the cases of Kenya and Zimbabwe will take place during the 15th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Kenya-Zimbabwe-rights governments processes-event-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
Kenya-Zimbabwe-rights governments processes-agenda-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
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