Mauritius decriminalizes homosexuality
The Mauritius Supreme Court on Wednesday declared Article 250 of the country’s penal code that criminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations unconstitutional.
The Young Queer Alliance, Egides and Rekonekte, Collectif Arc-en-Ciel and other advocacy groups over the last couple of years have fought hard to decriminalize homosexuality in the country.
Abdool Ridwan Firaas (Ryan) Ah Seek, a gay man and prominent LGBTQ activist, in October 2019 filed a lawsuit that sought to strike down the penal code.
His legal team included lawyers Gavin Glover, Yanilla Moonshira and Komadhi Mardemootoo. Human Dignity Trust and the organization’s founder, Tim Otty, and Herbert Smith Freehills supported the case. “It has been a long battle and receiving this judgment in my favor is an enormous relief,” said Seek. “From today, as a citizen and a human being, I am now free to love whoever I want without fear.
