Two Ugandans go on trial over ‘homosexual offenses’

Two men accused of having homosexual sex appeared before a Ugandan court Wednesday, the first to face trial since the adoption of tough anti-gay laws.

They appeared before a magistrate's court in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, to apply for bail after prosecutors said they had enough evidence to proceed with the case. Kim Mukisa and Jackson Mukasa are both expected to plead not guilty.

The Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum, a local watchdog group, said Ugandan police arrested the couple in January as they fled an angry mob.

They were charged with engaging in acts "against the order of nature."

Although Uganda has had anti-gay legislation since the colonial era, President Yoweri Museveni enacted a law in February that strengthened penalties against gay sex. His law calls for "repeat homosexuals" to be jailed for life, outlaws the promotion of homosexuality and obliges people to denounce gays to the authorities.

Nigeria issued a similar law, which criminalizes homosexual relationships and LGBT advocacy. Reports of extortion and harassment of the country's gay community have intensified since Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed the bill into law.

The laws drew international condemnation, with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry likening them to anti-Semitic legislation in Nazi Germany.

The two men, however, were arrested in January under the old laws.

Lawyers say both are expected to be released on bail, with a trial date to be set later.

Critics have said Museveni signed the law to win domestic support ahead of a presidential election scheduled for 2016, which will be his 30th year in power.

Wire services