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Nigeria: Rights Chief Assails Law as Roundup of Gays Begins Nigeria: Rights Chief Assails Law as Roundup of Gays Begins
(about 3 hours later)
The United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay sharply condemned as “draconian” an anti-gay marriage law that took effect in Nigeria last week, saying Tuesday it violated fundamental rights and risked provoking a surge of anti-gay violence. Nigeria had already criminalized same-sex relationships, but the new law “makes an already bad situation even worse,” she said in a statement. The law provides for jail terms of 14 years for anyone entering a same-sex union and 10 years for anyone who aids or witnesses such a union or who supports the operation of gay groups. “Rarely have I seen a piece of legislation that in so few paragraphs directly violates so many basic, universal human rights,” Ms. Pillay said. The United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay sharply condemned as “draconian” an antigay marriage law that took effect in Nigeria last week, saying Tuesday it violated fundamental rights and risked provoking a surge of antigay violence. Nigeria had already criminalized same-sex relationships, but the new law “makes an already bad situation even worse,” she said in a statement. The law provides for jail terms of 14 years for anyone entering a same-sex union and 10 years for anyone who aids or witnesses such a union or who supports the operation of gay groups. “Rarely have I seen a piece of legislation that in so few paragraphs directly violates so many basic, universal human rights,” Ms. Pillay said.
A roundup of gay men, accused of belonging to a gay organization, has begun in Bauchi State, rights activists and officials said, though they disagreed over how many had been arrested, The Associated Press reported. Dorothy Aken’Ova, director of Nigeria’s International Center for Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights, said the police detained four gay men last month and tortured them until they named others. The police have since arrested 38 men and were looking for 168 others, Ms. Aken’Ova told The A.P. Mustapha Baba Ilela, chairman of the Bauchi State Shariah Commission, told the agency that 11 gay men had been arrested, and he denied that any had been mistreated.A roundup of gay men, accused of belonging to a gay organization, has begun in Bauchi State, rights activists and officials said, though they disagreed over how many had been arrested, The Associated Press reported. Dorothy Aken’Ova, director of Nigeria’s International Center for Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights, said the police detained four gay men last month and tortured them until they named others. The police have since arrested 38 men and were looking for 168 others, Ms. Aken’Ova told The A.P. Mustapha Baba Ilela, chairman of the Bauchi State Shariah Commission, told the agency that 11 gay men had been arrested, and he denied that any had been mistreated.