Amnesty International says the bill passed by Ghana’s Parliament which seeks to criminalize lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people is one of the most draconian and should be rejected by the country’s president Nana Akufo-Addo
Ghana’s parliament on February 28 passed “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2024”.
The bill seeks to further criminalize lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. It also seeks to punish anyone who supports or advocates for LGBT people, including human rights defenders, medical professionals, journalists, teachers and landlords in violation of the right to freedom of expression and association, with prison terms of up to 10 years.
Amnesty International’s Ghana Executive Director, Genevieve Partington, said passage of the bill is shocking and deeply disappointing, coming shortly after Ghana was elected to serve at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
“LGBTI people have already reported forced evictions, loss of jobs, increased violence and other violations of the rights guaranteed by the country’s Constitution since the bill was introduced in parliament.
“Amnesty International urges President Nana Akufo Addo to respect the human rights of all persons and not to sign this extreme form of discrimination into law, affecting everyone in the country.
Ghana’s parliament passed the bill just before the international day of zero discrimination which is on 1 March 2024.
