Gambia: President Should Reject Homophobic Law - Life Sentence for 'Aggravated Homosexuality'

press release

Dakar — President Yahya Jammeh of Gambia should not sign a new Criminal Code amendment that would increase the punishment for "aggravated homosexuality" to life in prison, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today. The measure would further add to the climate of fear for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people in Gambia.

Several provisions of the law violate international human rights law and amount to persecution on the basis of real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Sections of the law are similar to the harsh homophobic legislation that was annulled in August 2014 in Uganda.

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