Three gay activists were arrested at a global HIV/AIDS meeting at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Uganda on Tuesday. They were part of a larger group but happened to make their way past security and into the meeting:
“A woman and two men beat the security detail and sneaked with placards and a 67-page document soliciting for funding of their activities in Uganda. The activists, now detained at Jinja Road Police Station, were identified as Pepe Juliana Onzema, a freelance journalist, Usaam Mukwaaya and Valantini Katende. Police spokesperson Simeo Nsubuga described them as intruders. ‘We are looking at a case of criminal trespass against them. They are not delegates and were not invited. They did not have accreditation cards.' The suspects, he said, had placards calling on the participants to consider gays in the planning and prevention of HIV/AIDS. ‘Gay Ugandans also need HIV prevention', read one placard. Another said: ‘Since 1983 up to 2008 zero shillings to HIV prevention for gay Ugandans'.”
Amnesty International has condemned the arrests and demanded that the activists be released:
“Amnesty said it was concerned for the safety of those arrested because of a ‘history of harassment and degrading treatment' of gays by the police. The three got past security outside the conference and started distributing leaflets to delegates. A police spokesman said they could face charges of criminal trespass. But Amnesty UK director Kate Allen called for their immediate release. ‘We consider these three to be prisoners of conscience, detained for their peaceful activism,' she said.”
