The court's move is seen as a positive step for sexual minorities in the east African nation, where gay sex carries a life sentence and homophobia and the persecution of LGBT+ people is widespread, yet rarely punished.
The case dates back to March when Ugandan police raided a shelter on the outskirts of Kampala, charging 20 LGBT+ youth with disobeying rules on social distancing and risking the spread of Covid-19. The group - 13 gay men, two bisexual men and four transgender women - were imprisoned for over 50 days at Kitalya prison located outside Kampala where they were taunted, flogged and denied access to food and medication, said their lawyers.
Uganda Prisons Services Spokesperson Frank Baine said he had"no powers to comment on court matters" regarding the case against Woniala.They have already won a civil case against the attorney general and commissioner general of prisons for denying them access to lawyers and were awarded five million Ugandan shillings each in damages.