Ethiopia: Anti-gay group hopes death penalty will soon be introduced for homosexuality

An anti-gay organisation has expressed hopes that the death penalty for homosexuals will soon be introduced in Ethiopia, and held a conference to discuss the “disastrous” effects of homosexuality in the country.

According to the Huffington Post, United For Life Ethiopia, an Evangelical Christian organisation which receives funding from the UK and the US, expressed hopes that homosexuality would soon be made punishable by the death penalty.

A workshop was also reportedly held by the group which revolved around the discussion of the “disastrous” and “evil” consequences homosexuality has on the country.

It was attended by government officials, religious leaders, health professionals, charities and members of the public.

Homosexuality is currently illegal in Ethiopia, and the UN Refugee Agency notes that typical imprisonment penalties range from ten days up to three years.

The ten year penalty can be given when someone convicted “uses violence, intimidation or coercion, trickery or fraud, or takes unfair advantage of the victim’s inability to offer resistance.”

Last year, Ethiopian government officials, religious leaders and civil representatives declared their opposition to LGBT rights and condemned homosexuality as a western epidemic during an anti-gay conference.

A popular Ethiopian daily newspaper last year alleged that the United States and Europe were plotting to export, spread and promote homosexuality in Ethiopia.

In an article published by Yenga daily, homosexuality was described as rapidly-growing “infestation” whose “carriers” were “estimated” to have reached 16,000.

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