Pena de morte poderá ser aplicada a homossexuais

O Parlamento do Uganda prepara-se para debater um projeto-lei que perpetua a discriminação e ódio contra lésbicas, gays, bissexuais e transsexuais. O Código Penal do Uganda já proíbe relações sexuais consensuais entre pessoas do mesmo sexo, mas a futura legislação homofóbica poderá permitir sentenças de prisão perpétua e pena de morte. Ver texto integral aqui. 

Amnistia Internacional Portugal

Efforts to arrest Joseph Kony must respect human rights

The arrest of Joseph Kony, a prominent leader of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), must be carried out in accordance with human rights standards, Amnesty International said today following the massive public response to the Kony 2012 campaign.

Kony and three other LRA leaders have evaded capture since 2005 when they were charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) with crimes against humanity and a raft of war crimes, including murder, forcible enlistment of children under the age of 15, sexual slavery and rape.

For many years, Amnesty International has been calling for the LRA leaders to be arrested.

“Joseph Kony and other LRA leaders have evaded arrest for far too long and this campaign is a salient reminder of the continuing crimes by LRA members and the need to arrest and surrender their leaders to the ICC so they can face trial,” said Erwin van der Borght, Africa director at Amnesty International.

For more than two decades, Amnesty International has documented crimes committed by the Lord’s Resistance Army and their horrific impact on the lives of thousands of civilians in Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Uganda.

Amnesty International has also documented human rights violations committed by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces against the civilian communities where the LRA were present, and against captured LRA members.

“It is important to remember that many of LRA members were themselves victims of human rights violations including forcible recruitment,” said Erwin van der Borght “Forces pursuing the LRA must seek to arrest the suspects in accordance with international law.”

Every effort must also be taken to protect the civilian communities where the LRA are present, recognizing that they are at grave danger of attack and being forcibly recruited into the LRA.

Amnesty International believes that efforts to arrest Joseph Kony should be led by the governments of the countries in the region where the LRA operates, not by the US armed forces. The UN and the African Union, both of which are involved in the effort to arrest the LRA suspects, also have an essential role to play in supporting efforts to arrest the LRA leaders, in protecting affected communities and monitoring and reporting on the status of human rights protection.

“Anyone joining the Kony 2012 campaign should insist that efforts to arrest Joseph Kony must respect human rights. It is also vital to make sure that any action ensures the protection of civilians in the surrounding areas.”

The death of any of the accused men would deny justice to the victims of LRA abuses.

Measures also need to be taken to provide reparation to the victims of human rights violations by the LRA to address their suffering, including providing medical and psychological care to victims of sexual violence and reintegrating child soldiers back into their communities and to make education and vocational training available to them.

Amnesty International

Uganda vai debater pena de morte para homossexuais

No Diário Digital: "A polémica lei anti-homossexuais proposta por um deputado ugandês em 2009 será revista no Parlamento do país africano, incluindo algumas remodelações, como a comutação da pena de morte pela prisão perpétua. ´Se for aprovada, representará um duro golpe para os direitos humanos de todos os ugandeses de qualquer orientação sexual´, disse, em comunicado, Michelle Kagari, da divisão africana da Amnistia Internacional. ´É alarmante e decepcionante que o Parlamento de Uganda debata a minuta outra vez. Queremos que a proposta seja rejeitada na sua totalidade. Não devemos legislar sobre o ódio´, acrescentou Kagari. (Notícia completa)

Uganda: Repressão agrava-se no país, segundo Amnistia Internacional

Na Angop: "Amnistia internacional acusou hoje [terça-feira] o governo ugandês de recorrer a maior repressão, enquanto o governo do presidente Yoweri Museveni no poder desde 1986, confronta-se com um movimento de protesto contra o elevado custo de vida, informa à AFP." (Notícia integral)

Uganda: Donde parir es morir

Na IPS: "Cuando la esposa del ugandés Valente Inziku empezó el trabajo de parto se dirigió al hospital para que fuera bien atendida, tal como lo habían planeado. Pero nada salió como estaba previsto." (Notícia integral)

"Esta é a pior tragédia humanitária do mundo"

No Público: "A maior seca dos últimos 60 anos afecta a Somália, o Quénia, a Etiópia, o Uganda e o Djibuti. "Há décadas que não vimos nada assim", contam os responsáveis das ONG no terreno." (Notícia completa)

Siembra homofobia y cosecharás muertes

Na IPS: "El asesinato de un importante activista por los derechos de gays y lesbianas volvió a poner sobre el tapete la fuerte homofobia en Uganda, fomentada por evangélicos conservadores y avalada por la ley." (Notícia)

Anglican leaders condemn victimisation of gays and lesbians

No Guardian (Reino Unido): "Rowan Williams warns against 'homophobic language' following murder of Ugandan activist David Kato." (Notícia)

Activista dos direitos dos homossexuais assassinado no Uganda

No PÚBLICO: "Um activista dos direitos homossexuais no Uganda, que fora identificado como gay por um jornal local, foi assassinado em casa, perto de Kampala, num crime que se suspeita ter motivos homofóbicos." (Notícia)