Local authorities in Uganda are facing accusations of raiding an LGBT shelter based on the perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of the residents, then charging them for allegedly defying coronavirus regulations on physical distancing, AllAfrica reported on Monday.
The incident reportedly occurred in Kyengera, a town in central Uganda, on March 29.
“We are deeply concerned about a raid on an LGBT shelter in Kyengera on March 29 and the arrest and detention of 19 people perceived to be LGBT persons,” the United Nations (U.N.) said in a statement released on Monday.
“[U.N.] experts are alarmed that Uganda could be using COVID-19 [Chinese coronavirus] emergency laws to target gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender [LGBT] people, and urged the government to strictly limit the use of emergency power to public health issues,” the statement said.
The U.N. also expressed concern that the detainees in this case allegedly have no access to their lawyer due to unspecified coronavirus measures.
“The right to access to legal assistance is a fundamental human right afforded to everyone,” the statement pointed out. The U.N. asked Uganda to include the Kyengera detainees in a planned future release of 2,000 inmates in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus in prisons.
On April 6, the Uganda Prisons Service listed 2,000 prisoners who have served part of their sentences across the country to be released if Uganda’s Attorney General approves the proposal. The prisoner release has been framed as one way to decongest prisons and reduce the spread of coronavirus within the facilities, according to a report on April 7 by Ugandan newspaper the Daily Monitor.
At press time on Tuesday, Uganda had reported 79 infections and zero deaths from the Chinese coronavirus.