Two young women known as Wendy and Diana, who were arrested under Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act earlier this year for allegedly kissing, have had the charges against them dropped.
The news was shared on X on Wednesday by veteran human rights activist Frank Mugisha.
He announced that the case against the women, who had been out on bail, “has officially been discontinued by Uganda’s Director of Public Prosecutions.”
Women Faced Life Imprisonment Under Anti-Homosexuality Act
Wendy, 22, and Diana, 21, made international headlines after police detained them on 18 February. Officers raided their room in the northern city of Arua following a complaint from neighbours.
At the time, police accused the pair of “allegations of practising homosexuality”, “being involved in queer and unusual acts believed to be sexual in nature”, and “openly kissing each other in broad daylight.”
Under Uganda’s controversial Anti-Homosexuality Act, the women faced life imprisonment if convicted.
Rights Groups Welcome Decision
“Finally, Wendy and Diana are free,” said Mugisha. “Thank you to everyone who stood with them and supported them throughout this journey.”
Ugandan LGBTIQ+ organisation SMUG International, which the government officially shut down in 2022, described the development as “an important victory” for the country’s queer community.
Uganda’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Law Remains in Force
Uganda’s 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act has been widely described as one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
The legislation imposes life imprisonment for same-sex relations and the death penalty for so-called “aggravated” homosexuality.
It also criminalises the “promotion of homosexuality”, exposing human rights defenders and LGBTQ+ advocates to prison sentences of up to 20 years.
A legal challenge to the validity of the Anti-Homosexuality Act remains pending before Uganda’s Supreme Court after the case was postponed in March.
