2011 round up: Part three: Decriminalization of homosexuality and anti-discrimination

Image via Wikipedia

By Paul Canning

I'm rounding up the year in a series of posts - in which no doubt I've missed something, so please let me know what I've missed in the comments!

Decriminalization of homosexuality and anti-discrimination

We saw an increased impact in 2011 of the work of the UN Human Rights Council, particularly its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process of interrogating country's human rights records, and other long term work by activists starting to bear fruit in other parts of the United Nations and other international bodies as well.

The passage of a resolution against killings of LGBT at the end of last year, reversing an attempt by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and some African countries at halting LGBT progress in international bodies, sparked a global reaction, including demonstrations and novel contact with governments by local LGBT.

It marked the change in approach by Rwanda in particular, which had previously backed off criminalization, with its UN ambassador drawing on the country's experience of genocide to send a message to those claiming that LGBT is not defined or that LGBT don't even exist.

It marked the first sign of historic change in Cuba, which appears likely to culminate in same-sex unions and anti-discrimination laws agreed by the Communist Party next year. The way that other Caribbean countries changed positively on the UN vote on killings also marked a development which continued in several island nations during 2011.

A change of approach by South Africa on the international LGBT rights front, due to internal civil society pressure, led to them proposing the historic July resolution affirming LGBT rights at the Human Rights Council, which then led to the publication of the first UN report on LGBT human rights in December. That July resolution also caused further ripples, including the first public affirmation of LGBT rights by a Gulf civil society group, in Bahrain.

It emerged that the organised backlash against LGBT rights in international bodies, led by the OIC, Russia and the African group, was receiving support from American Christian fundamentalist bodies such as CFAM. The same people who are losing the 'culture war' at home have shifted to intervening in Africa and the Caribbean and various countries repeated their arguments/lies, such as Uganda claiming at the UN Human Rights Council that lesbians and gays 'recruit'. However it was also clear from investigative reporting at UN HQ that many of the no-shows, abstentions or yes votes of various countries during key UN LGBT rights votes was largely down to US diplomatic pressure. This showed how both US and European pressures on LGBT rights is already happening, and working, in a year which saw extensive simplified and often inaccurate reporting on the use of such 'leverage', like the supposed 'colonialist' tying of development aid to LGBT rights.

Four countries committed themselves to decriminalization: São Tomé and Príncipe; Nauru; The Seychelles, and; Northern Cyprus.

In Botswana LGBT launched, then put on hold, a legal push for decriminalisation. and in Belize LGBT started their legal challenge to criminalisation on constitutional grounds. Jamaican law is to be challenged at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the opposition leader called for a review of the buggery law.

In Chile all anti-gay discrimination was banned. Colombia passed an anti-discrimination law which includes prison terms. In South Africa government action began on so-called 'corrective rape', following massive international attention. But in Brazil, passage of a hate crimes law failed due to increased evangelical Christian influence in that country. And in Malawi, the government criminalized lesbians and used LGBT rights as a wedge issue against its opponents.

The anti-criminalization effort at the Commonwealth Summit failed but it did raise the issue widely in media worldwide.

Several former African leaders came out for decriminalization. In her fantastic speech on gay rights at the UN in December, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pointedly mentioned one, former Botswana leader Festus Mogue. But only the Zimbabwean leader Morgan Tsvangarai offered support for LGBT amongst current African leaders.

Related articles

• UN publishes landmark LGBT rights report (madikazemi.blogspot.com)
• What preceded Hillary Clinton's UN speech? (madikazemi.blogspot.com)

Rwanda: A leading African light on LGBT human rights?

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Source: The East African

The perception of homosexuality as a “problem” has, for many years, been accepted as the status quo within much of East Africa. But even in this region of the world, where discussing sexuality of any description remains largely taboo, things are slowly starting to change — and the vanguard of that change is occurring in Rwanda.

Dr Aflodis Kagaba is the executive director of Health Development Initiative Rwanda, a health-focused non-governmental organisation located in Kigali that spearheads a coalition of over 40 groups conducting campaign and advocacy work for sexual minorities within the country.

He told The EastAfrican the campaign began a couple of years ago in 2009, when Rwanda started to talk about criminalising same-sex relationships as part of revisions to its Penal Code.

“Around that time in the region, there was a drive to criminalise homosexuality — not only in Rwanda, but also in Uganda and Burundi,” he said. “All the parliaments in the region took up the cause to create articles to criminalise [it], and so when the article was introduced, there was a lot of pressure.

“In the beginning, of course, it was very challenging. We were experiencing hate speech, people phoning in to radio programmes saying ‘Kill them, take them back to the West — they’re not part of us.’ But the media themselves were fanatical at that time — so it required more of an individual engagement, talking to them and discussing the issues involved. It was also important to educate them on some of the documents (in the Constitution) showing that people have rights. So for me, there’s an issue of lack of awareness, and of ignorance of human rights, that needs to continue to be addressed.”

At least in Rwanda, the coalition’s efforts have paid off. After much debate, Rwanda moved to eliminate the criminalisation provision from its draft code last year, and sign the UN Statement on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity — one of only six African countries to do so. (The others are the Central African Republic, São Tomé and Príncipe, the Seychelles, Sierra Leone, and South Africa.)

Criminalised

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Video: How the European Union is supporting international LGBT rights

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Source: Intergroup on LGBT rights

On 30 June 2011, the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights held a hearing on LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex) rights in the world. Members of the European Parliament, European Parliament staff, European Commission staff, ambassadors and members of the public heard from human rights defenders, civil society and high-level EU civil servants about the human rights of LGBTI people worldwide.


Andrzej Grzyb MEP, acting Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights opened the event.


Andrzej Grzyb MEP: Introduction from LGBT Intergroup on Vimeo.

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Report: LGBTI rights in Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi

Naome Ruzindana

Naome Ruzindana is a feminist and founding member of the Coalition of African Lesbians and an Executive Committee member since the outset. She is a passionate activist and human rights defender.

She is also a founding member of Horizon Community Association (HOCA) and the director of HOCA, a Rwandan LGBTI organisation. She has been very vocal and actively involved in the LGBTI movement building and mobilization in East Africa. In Rwanda, she has been very instrumental and played a leading role on challenging the government of Rwanda on the penal code which was intended to criminalize same sex relations.

She presented her paper "The Great Lakes of Africa: Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and their Position Towards LGBTI Rights" at the ILGA panel "The Growing Consensus: Towards the End of Criminalization and Human Rights Violations based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity" at the 17th session of the Human Rights Council 7 June 2011 at Palais des Nations, Geneva

Excerpts from Ruzindana's presentation.

Rwanda

In Rwanda, arbitrary arrests of LGBTI citizens and gay activists are increasing. Numerous cases of arrests and abuse of the LGBTI people have gone unnoticed even when we had just concluded a successful national Campaign that decriminalized homosexuality.

The current government prohibits any form of discrimination by gender, ethnicity, race or religion. In December 2009 and after intervention by international gay activists, the Rwandan government denied reports that parliament was considering revising its penal code to criminalize homosexuality. Minister of Justice Tharcisse Karugarama eventually said the government believes sexual orientation is a "private matter" and had no plans to criminalize homosexuality.... We only depend on the statement made by the Minister of Justice....

....good news that our Government has made a step forward within the region to endorse the UN Joint statement on ending acts of violence and related human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We applauded that.

Uganda

The controversial Anti Homosexuality bill is one of several bills that Members of Parliament on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee are set to debate when the House resumes business after the appointments of the Ministers. The bill was nearly enacted if it was not for international condemnation of clauses that stipulated death for LGBTIs.....

The current version of the bill does not stop at criminalizing the consensual same-sex relations, but will also imprison anybody who promotes the rights of LGBTI persons, making “all associations that promote or defend sexual relations against nature” forbidden in great lakes region. The notorious “Kill the Gays” might come back......

In October Last Year, the Ugandan tabloid Rolling Stone published the names and addresses of presumed homosexuals along with a banner that said, “Hang them.” Of which I was among, with the Late David Kato plus others. Later, they decided to take them to court where they worn an injunction prohibiting such publication inciting to violence against homosexuals. ....

The brutal murder of Ugandan human rights leader David Kato has left the LGBTI community in Uganda in shock, mourning, afraid, lowered their self esteem and brought more fear to their lives.

Burundi

Early last year, Burundi enacted harsh new anti-gay legislation that criminalized homosexuality and made same-sex relations punishable by up to two years in prison. Disturbing updates on the status of LGBTIs in Burundi after the President Pierre Nkurunziza secretly signs legislation—previously rejected by the Senate—that attempts to legislate homosexuality out of existence, and this has pyushed gays more into the closet and gay men say their lives have been "marked with increased discrimination and fear" following Burundi's much-criticized draconian ban......

LGBTI rights in Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi

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International Day Against Homophobia events announced

The Intentional Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) has announced more events to take place on or around May17.

Fighting so-called 'reparative' therapies, aiming at "curing" sexual and gender diversity, is emerging as a theme.

A coalition of groups from Latin America and the Caribbean has launched a campaign called "Cures that kill". First signatories include the Brazilian Federal Council of Psychology, Mariela Castro and the Mayor of Lima.

• Read the full appeal and sign the petition

In Peru a week long programme in Lima includes a national seminar on 'reparative' therapies.

In Italy, Catholics will hold a Vigil of Prayer for the victims of homophobia.

The Latin Americans are seeking support from the international community and the wider public.

The IDAHO Committee has an online "As I Am" campaign which aims to "celebrate our individualities and to honor the collective spirit that binds us all, connecting us to universal, inalienable and interconnected human rights that all people share". It has invited submissions of creative videos, artwork, or written statements "about respecting a person for ALL of who they are".

May 17, the 20 national editions of the free daily METRO, read by 17 million people, will be edited by Lady Gaga. There is a contest for Gaga assistants.

Turkish LGBT group KAOS GL will launch a regional network against homophobia, as part of the sixth international IDAHO conference in Ankara. They said:

"The Conference for Middle East and Balkan Countries’ Homosexuals was a dream when we declared our foundation 16 years ago and shaped our liberation perspective. Liberation and survival struggles of LGBT in our region has always been a constant consideration for Kaos GL, one of the first LGBT organisations in Turkey. The reflections of all ethnic, religious and cultural diversity seen in the Middle Eastern, Caucasus and Balkan countries exist in Turkey’s society. Kaos GL has strived for this diversity to represent and express itself in the LGBT movement since its foundation."

"Homophobia is institutionalised in civil society and the public area by blending racism and nationalism in the countries of this region, including Turkey. Institutionalised homophobia integrates into historical animosities between the countries of our region and increases existing alienation between peoples. It is the LGBT organisations and the regional network between these organisations that will have to resist homophobic and sexist reflections of racist and nationalist policies in our region."

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New Dawn: How Africa is changing for the better on LGBT rights

Rwandan UN Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe

Source: Gay Times

By Paul Canning

Last December something rather historic happened in New York. The world voted in favour of the most basic gay right of all - the right to life.

A month earlier a group of Islamic and African countries had struck out 'sexual orientation' from a United Nations resolution on extrajudicial - non-state - killings. It had been in a long list of groups deserving protection.

The United States then announced they would try to get the vote reversed and 20 December it was. By a landslide.

Despite the vote being cast in apocalyptic terms (the delegate from the West African state of Benin said that "this vote determines the very future of humanity!" and that it would "go down in the annals of history") over a quarter of member states positively changed their votes - including a third of Africa.

Rwanda voted for gays and in an astonishing speech the delegate Olivier Nduhungirehe said it was not because of lobbying or threats but because of the lessons learned from the genocide that country had suffered.

"Whether or not the concept is defined or not, whether or not we support the claims of people with a different sexual orientation, whether or not we approve of their sexual practices – we must deal with the urgency of these matters and recognize that these people continue to be the target of murder in many of our societies, and they are more at risk than many of the other groups listed. This is unfortunately true, and recognizing this is not a call to give them special rights; it’s just recognition of a crime, that their fundamental rights, their right to life should not be refused. But to refuse to recognize this reality for legal or ideological or cultural reasons will have the consequence of continuing to hide our heads in the sand and to fail to alert states to these situations that break families."

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Video: Holocaust Memorial Day 2011 film trailer

Watch the making of the HMD 2011 online film: 'Untold Stories' and discover the stories behind the trailer.

Ali is a Iraqi LGBT activist who has experienced discrimination and persecution. His name has been changed and his face obscured to protect his identity as he still faces persecution today in London.

Apolinaire Kageruka is a survivor of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. He has never recorded his testimony before.

Astrid Aghajanian survived the Ottoman Empire’s destruction of its Armenian population. For more information on the events of 1915-18, please visit the USHMM site.

Hawa is a survivor of the genocide in Darfur. She has covered her face for filming in order to protect her identity. Hawa is not her real name.

Margret is a German Jewish Refugee. She and her family fled Nazi persecution and settled in the UK.

Michel is a photographer living in the UK. In 2010, he was a victim of hate crime when his home was vandalised and a swastika was painted on his door.

Mukesh Kapila was working as Head of the UN in Sudan in 2004 and brought the genocide in Darfur to the attention of the international community.

Safet Vukalic survived the genocide in Bosnia. He now lives and works in the UK.

Simon Winston survived the Holocaust in hiding. He is filmed at The Holocaust Centre.

Sokphal Din survived the genocide in Cambodia (1975-1979).

Vicky Botton lives in the East Midlands and is a Traveller. She speaks about the Untold Stories of the persecution of Gypsy and Travellers in the UK today. Vicky refers to the ‘gadje’ in her film. This is a Romani term meaning ‘non-gypsy.’

Big victory for USA in fresh United Nations 'gay killings' vote

By Paul Canning

The United Nations General Assembly tonight voted 93 for, 55 against with 27 abstaining to reinsert 'sexual orientation' into a resolution condemning extrajudicial killings. The vote followed the United States insistence on bringing the resolution back for another vote.

It was removed last month in a move led by African and Islamic countries.

This means that 23 nations changed their vote to yes, 15 didn't vote no and nine more abstained - 47 in total went in a positive direction. This is a quarter of the UN membership.

• One third of African countries changed their vote positively, including Rwanda and Angola voting yes. 
• Almost the whole of the Caribbean changed their vote positively, including Jamaica.

In the debate at the UN the most moving contribution was from the Rwandan delegate who said that a group does not need to be "legally defined" to be targeted for massacres and referenced his countries experience. "We can't continue to hide our heads in the sand" he said."These people have a right to life."

The reference to 'legal definition' was a pointed reference to the argument of other African countries, led by Benin, as well as the Islamic countries, led by Tajikistan and Arab countries, led by UAE, that 'sexual orientation' wasn't defined and wasn't covered by international human rights agreements.

The debate also saw South Africa pointedly reverse its previous vote citing its constitutional protections for LGBT but at the same time lamenting the 'sensitive' nature of the subject. Colombia, which had previously abstained, spoke strongly in favour.

A low point came from the Zimbabwean delegate who said sexual orientation "is not a human right" and compared it to bestiality and pedophilia.As well the Benin delegate said that 'this vote determines the very future of humanity! and that it "go down in annals of history".

As well as the United States, the EU and other countries, numerous human rights organisations as well as individual activists have been lobbying UN delegates for the past two weeks.Cuba's Foreign Ministry met with LGBT representatives prior to the vote, though it did not say whether it would reverse it's previous support for the removal of sexual orientation from the resolution.

The full break down of the vote is now available. Here's how the votes changed:

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Though lesbians suffer in Rwanda, they're determined to be visible

Source: Horizon Community Association (HOCA)

By Naome Ruzindana (Founder Member and Director of HOCA)

Lesbian study on lived realities of same sex women in Rwanda done between 17 March and 20 May 2010.

The Research was carried out in Gasabo district of the Central Province of Rwanda. The Focus was on lived realities of open lesbians living in Kigali. The study was therefore limited to only Kigali by Horizon Community Association because it was an initiative to recognize the problems faced by lesbians after the several attacks and arbitrary arrests that has been in Rwanda since 2004

The study also focused on the specific activities of Hoca and how it has improved the livelihood of its members in Gasabo.

The study again highlighted the background of Rwanda as a nation and her culture, and they perceive homosexuality right from the past generation to date.

How can you fight for recognition when you are not visible? Visibility is essential. People need to know us and our being.

Rwanda Background

The Richness of Rwanda culture is apparent in the wide of fine craft. These include pottery, basketry; jewel they also do iron wood curving metal work. All the ethnic groups cherish oral traditions of proverbs, songs and chants.

The Tutsi in particular are well known for their epic songs and dynastic poetry. Following the origins of the Tutsi ruling class.

Again on the sexuality side, it’s defined in different ways that encompasses many different aspects of our lives; sexual behavior, sexual identity and sexual orientation. My points will based and focused on sexual orientation and the way Rwandan takes it or understands it.

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Uganda: The silent practice of deportations

Source: Pambazuka News

By Bernadette Iyodu



The act of deportation does not occur in a vacuum but is rather inextricably linked to the wider policies, practices and trends of the asylum process. A thorough understanding of deportation thus encompasses asylum-determination procedures, access to legal representation, the adequacy of detention facilities and the use of detention during appeal, the use of force during deportation, and the security of deportees upon their return and removal. Within these various stages of the process, the potential human rights implications include torture, both physical and psychological, family disruptions, trauma, loss of livelihood and stigma, all of which violate the dignity and rights of the persons concerned.

The recent trend reveals that the number of asylum claims in industrialised countries has steadily decreased while the rate of deportation of failed asylum seekers nevertheless continues to increase.[1] Almost all countries as sovereign entities legally reserve the right to deport illegal immigrants, but international law imposes several restrictions to this general rule, such as the principle of non-refoulement and the restrictions under the Convention against Torture.[2] Amidst a 'global war on terror' and rising xenophobia however, states are increasingly abusing these restrictions in the name of national security.

Deportees to Uganda

Once reaching Uganda, the outlook for deportees is grim at best. The Refugee Law Project has heard first-hand accounts of these experiences from deportees. One woman, having been repeatedly tortured and raped in Uganda, fled to the UK but was subsequently deported back. Upon her return, she was immediately taken to prison where she languished for nine months until a relative was able to bribe a guard. Another Ugandan deported from the UK was immediately detained for two weeks and then brought to the Head of Military Intelligence (CMI) and charged with various sham offences. She was finally acquitted one year later because no evidence was ever produced relating to these purported charges.

Currently, most deportees come from the UK, and the UK considers deportations to Uganda safe and legal due to assurances offered by President Yoweri Museveni.[3] However, the personal accounts relayed to our office match a general pattern documented by experts and journalists:

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Desmond Tutu: In Africa, a step backward on human rights

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Source: washingtonpost.com

By Desmond Tutu

Hate has no place in the house of God. No one should be excluded from our love, our compassion or our concern because of race or gender, faith or ethnicity -- or because of their sexual orientation. Nor should anyone be excluded from health care on any of these grounds. In my country of South Africa, we struggled for years against the evil system of apartheid that divided human beings, children of the same God, by racial classification and then denied many of them fundamental human rights. We knew this was wrong. Thankfully, the world supported us in our struggle for freedom and dignity.

It is time to stand up against another wrong.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people are part of so many families. They are part of the human family. They are part of God's family. And of course they are part of the African family. But a wave of hate is spreading across my beloved continent. People are again being denied their fundamental rights and freedoms. Men have been falsely charged and imprisoned in Senegal, and health services for these men and their community have suffered. In Malawi, men have been jailed and humiliated for expressing their partnerships with other men. Just this month, mobs in Mtwapa Township, Kenya, attacked men they suspected of being gay. Kenyan religious leaders, I am ashamed to say, threatened an HIV clinic there for providing counseling services to all members of that community, because the clerics wanted gay men excluded.

Uganda's parliament is debating legislation that would make homosexuality punishable by life imprisonment, and more discriminatory legislation has been debated in Rwanda and Burundi.

These are terrible backward steps for human rights in Africa.

Our lesbian and gay brothers and sisters across Africa are living in fear.

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Rwanda: Law criminalizing homosexuality not included in text of penal code revisions

Image via Wikipedia

Source: IGLHRC

Following interventions from Rwandan civil society as well as the international community and governments, the Rwandan Government has indicated that Article 217 will not be a part of the final text of the penal code revisions. The provision, if included, would criminalize homosexuality for the first time in Rwanda, as well as any promotion and 'sensitisation' of the issue.

IGLHRC first received reports from Rwanda that the lower house of the Parliament would have its final debate of the revised penal code on December 17, 2009 and subsequently vote on its articles. Article 217 was expected to face a vote on December 18, according to local activists.

On Wednesday, December 17, the agenda of the lower house was abruptly changed for unclear reasons. IGLHRC later learned that Article 217 was not discussed on that day at all.

On Saturday, December 19, according to the Rwandan newspaper, New Times, the Minister of Justice, Tharcisse Karugarama stated: "The government I serve and speak for on certain issues cannot and will not in any way criminalize homosexuality; sexual orientation is a private matter and each individual has his or her own orientation – this is not a State matter at all."

The Minister of Justice then reiterated this statement during the Monday, December 21st session of the lower house of Parliament. According to a source who attended the session, a number of MPs expressed dissatisfaction with this position.

IGLHRC will continue to work with Rwanda's Horizon Community Association (HOCA) and the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL), to verify and monitor these positive developments and to ensure equal protection and privacy for all Rwandans, regardless of  sexual orientation or gender identity.

~~~~~~

Gov’t cannot criminalise homosexuality- Minister

Source: New Times

By Edwin Musoni

KIGALI - The Minister of Justice Tharcisse Karugarama has condemned and refuted reports that government intends to criminalize homosexual acts saying that sexual orientation is a private matter not a state business.

His reaction comes after international organizations, including rights groups and gay communities across the world raised an alarm in several reports accusing the government of trying to consider a law against homosexuality.

“The government I serve and speak for on certain issues cannot and will not in any way criminalize homosexuality; sexual orientation is a private matter and each individual has his or her own orientation - - this is not a State matter at all,” said Karugarama.

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL), and Rwanda’s Horizon Community Association (HOCA), recently issued statements demanding that that the Rwandan Parliament withdraws article 217 of the penal code regarding homosexuality.

The Minister accused the ‘groups for either acting in total ignorance or intentionally presenting wrong facts for their own political motives.’

“They allege that the law was to be passed in Parliament on December 16, but sincerely there was nothing like that in the parliament that day.”

He clearly stated that; “these people should distinguish between issues debated by private parties and concrete proposals from the government.”

He hastened to add that the government has held a meeting with its development partners on this particular issue and told them their position ‘which is that the government has no intentions whatsoever to criminalize homosexuality.

Rwandan Parliament to Vote on Criminalizing Homosexuality this Week

Image via Wikipedia

Source: IGLHRC

On December 16, 2009, the lower house of the Rwandan Parliament will hold its final debate on a draft revision of the penal code that will, for the first time, make homosexuality a crime in Rwanda. A vote on this draft code will occur before the end of the week. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has learned that the proposed Article 217 of the draft Penal Code Act will criminalize "[a]ny person who practices, encourages or sensitizes people of the same sex, to sexual relation or any sexual practice." If the Chamber of Deputies approves, the draft code will go before the Rwandan Senate most likely in early 2010.

Article 217 violates Rwandans' basic human rights and is contradictory to the Rwandan Constitution as well as various regional and international conventions. IGLHRC, the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL), and Rwanda's Horizon Community Association (HOCA) will shortly issue a call to action to demand that the Rwandan Parliament withdraw this article. We urge the international community to act against this proposed law and support the equality, dignity, and privacy of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Rwanda.

This draft provision targeting LGBT people closely follows the introduction of a similar measure in neighboring Uganda, where the nation's parliament is currently debating an Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The proposed Ugandan law would prohibit all LGBT activism and organizing, would further criminalize consensual same-sex conduct between adults, which is already illegal in Uganda, and in some cases apply the death penalty.

Gays mistreated in Rwanda - AI

Amnesty International has said Rwandan gays and lesbians face serious hostilities, harassment and intimidation in the East African state.

According to the Amnesty International 2009 report, the treatment of the lesbian community is not isolated but indicative of general short-fall in the respect of human rights, saying the Rwanda government reacted with hostility to criticism on gay and lesbian community.

It also criticises Rwanda’s donor community which did not dare to challenge and or criticise the government for its violation of rights for gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

“Freedom of expression was limited and civil society and the media were under close scrutiny by the government,” the organisation said in the report.

The report cited that in March, two female LGBT activists were accused of forging documents and detained for two weeks after attending a LGBT conference in Mozambique. “They were subsequently released two weeks later after prosecution withdrew the case citing lack of evidence,” the report stated.

Amnesty International has also warned that the global economic crisis is exacerbating human rights abuses, stating that rising prices meant millions were struggling to meet basic needs in Africa and other part of the world.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch remain in a frosty relationship with Kigali that in 2007, President Kagame slammed the two organisations of “deliberately refusing to see anything good in Rwanda”.

Source