The Uganda Parliament on Tuesday passed anti-gay law making some crimes punishable by death and imposing up to 20 years in prison for people identifying as LGBTQ+.

The new legislation constitutes a further crackdown on LGBTQ+ people in a country where same-sex relations were already illegal and punishable by life imprisonment. It will also now include a ban on promoting and abetting homosexuality in the East Africa country.

Also read: Cyclone Freddy damages half of Malawi, destroy Mozambique

According to the bill, the death penalty can be invoked for cases involving aggravated homosexuality.

UGANDA PARLIAMENT PASSES ANTI-GAY LAW

Chairperson for legal and parliamentary affairs Robina Rwakoojo read the amendments in Parliament on Wednesday.

“A person who commits the offence of aggravated homosexuality and is liable, on conviction, to suffer death.”

Only two out of the 389 legislators voted against the bill on Tuesday. The bill will now go to President Yoweri Museveni to sign into law.

Museveni has not commented on the current legislation but signed an anti-LGBTQ law in 2013. It was condemned by the Western countries before a domestic court struck it down on procedural grounds.