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| British theatre producer escapes two years in Ugandan jail for gay play | British theatre producer escapes two years in Ugandan jail for gay play |
| (4 months later) | |
| A Ugandan court has dismissed the case against a British theatre producer who faced two years in jail for staging a play about homosexuality. | A Ugandan court has dismissed the case against a British theatre producer who faced two years in jail for staging a play about homosexuality. |
| David Cecil was charged with "disobeying lawful orders" from Uganda's media council after performances of the play went ahead despite intervention from the regulators. | David Cecil was charged with "disobeying lawful orders" from Uganda's media council after performances of the play went ahead despite intervention from the regulators. |
| The River and the Mountain had provoked controversy, particularly through its suggestion that much homophobic anger and hatred in the country had been whipped up by politicians and religious leaders for their own purposes. | The River and the Mountain had provoked controversy, particularly through its suggestion that much homophobic anger and hatred in the country had been whipped up by politicians and religious leaders for their own purposes. |
| Cecil told the Guardian that a magistrate dismissed the case on Wednesday because, having appeared in court four times since September, the prosecution had failed to disclose any evidence or commit to a trial date. The magistrate returned Cecil's passport and declared that he was free to go, although she added that the case could at any time be re-opened if the state so wished. | Cecil told the Guardian that a magistrate dismissed the case on Wednesday because, having appeared in court four times since September, the prosecution had failed to disclose any evidence or commit to a trial date. The magistrate returned Cecil's passport and declared that he was free to go, although she added that the case could at any time be re-opened if the state so wished. |
| "I am very relieved," Cecil said. "This was an unexpectedly swift end to the proceedings, though ultimately I was confident that the case would be dismissed. I am very happy indeed to see the justice system working so well and smoothly in this case and am grateful to the magistrate for her treatment of my case." | "I am very relieved," Cecil said. "This was an unexpectedly swift end to the proceedings, though ultimately I was confident that the case would be dismissed. I am very happy indeed to see the justice system working so well and smoothly in this case and am grateful to the magistrate for her treatment of my case." |
| The River and the Mountain tells the story of a young businessman coming to terms with being gay in a climate of homophobia. The production was stopped by the media council, which told producers a day before opening that the script needed to be cleared by authorities – a procedure not normally required for theatrical productions. The National Theatre of Uganda, in Kampala, refused to stage the scheduled performances but some shows went ahead at two smaller venues. A petition calling for the Ugandan government to drop the case against Cecil was signed by more than 2,800 people, including Mike Leigh, Stephen Fry, Sandi Toksvig and Simon Callow. | The River and the Mountain tells the story of a young businessman coming to terms with being gay in a climate of homophobia. The production was stopped by the media council, which told producers a day before opening that the script needed to be cleared by authorities – a procedure not normally required for theatrical productions. The National Theatre of Uganda, in Kampala, refused to stage the scheduled performances but some shows went ahead at two smaller venues. A petition calling for the Ugandan government to drop the case against Cecil was signed by more than 2,800 people, including Mike Leigh, Stephen Fry, Sandi Toksvig and Simon Callow. |
| Uganda has been criticised for introducing an anti-homosexuality bill to parliament, which proposes severe penalties, including death, for those found having same-sex relationships. | Uganda has been criticised for introducing an anti-homosexuality bill to parliament, which proposes severe penalties, including death, for those found having same-sex relationships. |
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