gambian president urged to halt anti-gay crackdown

Source: Rueters

THE GAMBIA – June 13, 2008: Human Rights Watch called on Gambia on Wednesday to halt a crackdown against homosexuals after President Yahya Jammeh ordered their arrest and expulsion from the country, saying he would “cut off” their heads.

In a public letter to Jammeh, the New York-based group called on him to “publicly disavow threats and vilification directed against gays and lesbian people in Gambia”.

“Such calls for violence against members of the Gambian population urge the state to violate its human rights obligations, and create a climate of impunity,” it said.

Homosexuality is illegal in the West African state, a tiny former British colony which Jammeh, an outspoken military officer and former wrestler, has ruled since seizing power in a bloodless coup in 1994. He is often criticised by human rights groups for persecuting political opponents and journalists.

In a May 15 speech during a tour of his country, Jammeh condemned homosexuality as a menace to the nation, ordered homosexuals to leave and said he would “cut off the head” of any who remained, local journalists who covered the event said. Authorities later denied he made the decapitation threat.

In early June, Gambian authorities detained and expelled two Spanish men for allegedly making homosexual advances towards taxi drivers.

Human Rights Watch said at least four people had been detained or summoned for questioning after Jammeh’s statements. “We also call upon you to ask the police to release all persons still detained on charges or under suspicion of homosexual conduct, and to desist from further arrests,” it added.

Gambia’s penal code criminalises homosexual conduct as an “unnatural offence” punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Human Rights Watch said Gambia's government should move to repeal the law.

Similar anti-homosexual legislation exists in other African countries like Kenya, Sudan and Egypt and many societies across the African continent view homosexual behaviour as taboo.

Human Rights Watch reminded Jammeh that his country had ratified continental and international conventions which protect the rights to privacy, equality and non-discrimination.

“We ask you to affirm publicly and without equivocation that all people should enjoy their rights regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity,” the group said.