Gambian President Signs "Life In Prison For Gays" Into Law

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has signed into law legislation which makes being gay punishable by life in prison:

The law targets those with a previous conviction for homosexuality, those living with HIV, and same-sex partners of people with disabilities - all of whom could be imprisoned for life.

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on Thursday the law violates fundamental human rights - among them the right to privacy, to freedom from discrimination and freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention.

"I call on The Gambia to fulfil its international obligations to promote and protect the human rights of all persons without discrimination, to repeal all provisions of the Criminal Code that criminalise relations between consenting adults and to put in place an immediate moratorium on arrests on the basis of such laws," he said in a statement.

Our good friend Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association cheered the passage of the bill via Twitter when it was passed in September.

But remember - Mr. Fischer says he has no animus towards the gays at all...

Right.

(h/t JMG)