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Benjamin Wickham
WINDHOEK, June 20 – Amnesty International is calling on the Namibian government to ensure the safety of LGBTQ people ahead of a landmark ruling by the country’s High Court on June 21 on sodomy and crimes against nature laws dating back to colonial times that criminalize homosexual acts.
LGBTQ activist Friedel Dausab, represented by attorney Gilbert Markus, filed the case Dausab v. Minister of Justice et al in June 2022. The court heard closing arguments last October. The landmark ruling comes a year after the Namibian Supreme Court decided in May 2023 to recognize foreign same-sex marriages. Despite this progressive ruling, Amnesty International found an increase in homophobic incidents. In June 2023, the Namibian parliament passed legislation restricting marriage equality, defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The legislation was opposed by LGBTQ activists, who called on the president to veto it.
Amnesty International urged authorities to protect LGBTQ people from harassment, violence or discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The organization reported an increase in threatening rhetoric against LGBTQ people, including violent cyberattacks and online harassment driven primarily by faith and religious leaders. As the country awaits the High Court ruling, Amnesty International stressed the need to prevent human rights violations against LGBTQ people amid heightened tensions.
Khanyo Farise, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for East and Southern Africa, said: “Whatever the outcome of the High Court’s ruling on 21 June, violence and discrimination against LGBTI people have no place in Namibian society. The authorities should take decisive action to prevent human rights violations against LGBTI people and hold perpetrators accountable.”
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