At least one person has been injured following a »violent incident» at the Ugandan Embassy headquarters in New York that Ugandan authorities have attributed to a person »angry» over the recently passed bill providing for life sentences for homosexuals.
»Violent incident at the Uganda House in New York», denounced the Ugandan permanent representative to the United Nations, Adonia Ayebare, who detailed that the injured is a South Sudanese diplomat».
Thus, he said that »an individual who has yet to be identified damaged a window in the back door and injured a South Sudanese diplomat». The police are on the scene. Fortunately, security cameras have captured the incident,» he said.
»It is too early to establish motives, but the individual was reportedly angry about the bill passed by the Ugandan Parliament on LGTBI people. There will be more details later,» he said on his Twitter account.
Ayebare has stressed that the bill has not been approved and criticized the »misleading» reports of »international media» pointing in this direction. »Until the president gives his approval, it is not a law. Separation of powers», he added.
The text approved by the Ugandan Parliament criminalizes the mere identification as LGTBI, with punishments that can reach life imprisonment and even the death penalty if it is classified as ‘aggravated homosexuality’, in cases where it is considered that there is no consent or coercion. Those who promote same-sex relations risk up to 20 years in prison.
The law has been criticized by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, who has pointed out that it is worrying» insofar as it proposes to punish the LGTBI collective »simply for existing» and »for being who they are».
Likewise, the European Union pointed out that »the criminalization of homosexuality is contrary to International Law» and recalled one of the clauses of the African Charter, which states that »everyone has the duty to respect and consider his fellow men without discrimination».
For his part, the spokesman of the National Security Council of the United States, John Kirby, pointed out that Washington will analyze »possible repercussions». »We would have to investigate whether or not possible repercussions, perhaps economic, will have to be taken if this law is ultimately enacted,» he argued.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
