After spending four nights in jail and enduring alleged abuse, 39 people arrested in a raid on an LGBTQ+ shelter in Uganda have been granted bail. On Friday, the Nansana Magistrates Court outside of Kampala ordered the release of the last of the 44 individuals detained at a party at the Happy Family Youth Uganda shelter on Monday.
They were charged under Covid-19 restrictions for engaging in “a negligent act likely to spread infectious disease” and face 7 years prison sentence.
Activists, however, say that the charges are a cover to target the LGBTIQ community and that police were called because neighbours complained about a “gay wedding”.