The U.S. State Department announced on Friday that officials from Uganda have been subject to visa restrictions from the United States as a result of the African nation's adoption of an anti-LGBTQ law, which was denounced by numerous nations and the United Nations.
The law, which was passed in May and is regarded as one of the harshest in the world, carries the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality," which includes HIV transmission through gay sex. It put some of the country's annual receipts of billions of dollars in foreign aid in jeopardy and drew immediate criticism from Western governments.
While Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated last month that the government would consider visa restrictions against Ugandan officials, U.S. President Joe Biden had threatened aid cuts and other sanctions.
It said:
The State Department issued a statement on Friday that stated, "the United States will hold accountable those who are responsible for abusing human rights in Uganda, including those of LGBTQI+ persons," but it did not specify any names or even the number of officials who would be subject to the visa restriction.
The risk that LGBTQI+ individuals could be prosecuted and subjected to life imprisonment or the death penalty based on provisions in the law was also highlighted in an update to the State Department's Uganda travel guidance for U.S. citizens.
The State Department said:
"The United States strongly supports the Ugandan people and remains committed to advancing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Uganda and globally."
For same-sex relationships, the law also stipulates a 20-year prison term and a life sentence.
The law says that media companies and non-governmental organizations that knowingly promote LGBTQ activities will also face severe fines.
Homosexuality was already illegal in the conservative and highly religious East African country, and homosexuals faced ostracism and harassment by security forces.
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