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Senate rejects ban on homosexuality

[Senegal] Gays join fight against HIV/AIDS. IRIN
Traditional and western medicines seek to join hands against AIDS
    NAIROBI

    The Burundian Senate has won praise from human rights activists this week for overwhelmingly voting against a bill that would have outlawed homosexuality.



    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.



    kr/mw



    Read more



    BURUNDI: A belated start to HIV prevention for gays

    BURUNDI: Yves Niyonkuru: "I knew about HIV, but sex was better without a condom"

    Blog: The marginalisation of lubricant

    SENEGAL: Jailing of gay activists sets back AIDS fight

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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