Friday, June 21, 2024 - There was wild jubilation among members of the LGBTQ community after a top Namibian court on Friday, June 21, struck down the country’s colonial-era laws criminalising same-sex relationships.
The high court in the capital, Windhoek, declared the crimes
of "sodomy" and "unnatural sexual offences" as
"unconstitutional and invalid" in a ruling hailed by LGBTQ rights
groups.
"We are not persuaded that in a democratic society such
as ours… it is reasonably justifiable to make an activity criminal just because
a segment, maybe a majority, of the citizenry consider it to be
unacceptable," the judges wrote.
The judgement overturns laws dating back to 1927, which
Namibia inherited from the colonial era but maintained after gaining
independence from South Africa in 1990.
"Because of this decision, I no longer feel like a
criminal on the run in my own country simply because of who I am," Friedel
Dausab, the activist who brought the case, said.
London-based Human Dignity Trust called the ruling
"historic".
"LGBT Namibians can now look to a brighter
future," said its chief executive, Tea Braun.
The United Nations AIDS program, UNAIDS, said the ruling
marked a "significant victory for equality and human rights".
"This decision… is a powerful step towards a more
inclusive Namibia," said Anne Githuku-Shongwe, UNAIDS regional director
for East and Southern Africa.
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