The draft - approved by the lower chamber of parliament in 2008 - proposed a sentence of up to two years in prison for homosexual conduct.
"By rejecting this amendment, senators in Burundi have protected the human rights of their people," said Michel Sidibé, executive director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). "They have also set a standard for other lawmakers around the world to follow their example in stopping laws that block the AIDS response." [http://data.unaids.org/]
The new law also abolishes the death penalty and makes torture, genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity punishable offences.
The senate version now goes back to the national assembly for adoption.
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