Gay rights campaigners expressed joy at the Botswana court of appeal’s decision to uphold a ruling that decriminalised same-sex relationships, saying the country’s judiciary had set an example for other African countries. The government had appealed a 2019 ruling that criminalising homosexuality was unconstitutional. The ruling had been hailed as a major victory for gay rights campaigners on the continent, following an unsuccessful attempt in Kenya to repeal colonial-era laws criminalising gay sex. Dismissing the appeal on Monday, the bench of five judges unanimously ruled that criminalising same-sex relationships was a violation of the constitutional rights of LGBTQ+ individuals to dignity, liberty, privacy and equality. UN resident coordinator and representative of the UN secretary general in Botswana, Zia Choudhury tweeted: “Woohoo! Justice for #LGBTQ community, and justice for all who believe in #HumanRights.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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