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Isaac Kasamani / AFP - Getty Images, file
British theater producer David Cecil waves from a court cell in Kampala on Sept. 13, 2012 after being arrested for staging a play about a gay man.
KAMPALA -- Uganda has deported a British theater producer charged with staging a play about homosexuality, the British High Commission said on Tuesday.
Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda and further legislation on the issue, awaiting debate in parliament, has drawn criticism from donors including the United States.
Producer David Cecil, 35, was deported from the east African country late on Monday aboard a KLM flight, and arrived in the UK on Tuesday morning, British High Commission spokesperson Chris Ward said.
A court threw out a case against Cecil last month. He had been charged with disobeying a public official last September after ignoring orders to cancel a theatre production with a gay leading character.
Cecil, who denied being a gay rights activist, could have faced two to four years in jail in the religiously conservative country if convicted.
"We are extremely disappointed and obviously concerned that David was being deported without being given an opportunity to challenge the deportation order which would be through the Ugandan courts," Ward told Reuters.
He said he had not arranged a meeting with Ugandan officials yet "but we fully intend to do so," adding, "It's obviously key ... (for) the UK government to know that due process is being followed."
Immigration officials were not available for comment after the deportation, but have told Reuters there was a direct ministerial order to deport Cecil. A spokesperson said the ministry would issue a statement later.
Uganda's immigration act enables the deportation of any foreigner declared by the minister of internal affairs to be an "undesirable immigrant".
Fridah Mutesi, one of Cecil's lawyers and a gay rights activist, said they still intended to challenge the validity of the deportation order by filing a case to the high court.
Cecil's partner, Florence Kebirungi, said she last heard from him at about 6pm (0300 GMT) on Monday night.
"He called me briefly when he was at the airport to say 'Can you call the lawyers?' and then before I could reply, he hung up," she said.
Uganda's latest legislative proposals include a charge of "promotion of homosexuality" which could mean up to seven years in prison for activists, artists, lawyers and even health workers convicted of "funding and sponsoring ... homosexuality and related activities."
Uganda's Minister of Ethics and Integrity Simon Lokodo has already been enforcing that clause in recent months to clamp down on gay rights activism, and had promised a "fresh investigation" into Cecil after he was cleared last month.
A previous bill, denounced as "odious" by U.S. President Barack Obama, had proposed the death penalty for gays.
KAMPALA — Ugandan authorities said on Monday they plan to deport a British theater producer who was charged last year with staging a play about homosexuality.
Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda and David Cecil, 35, was charged with disobeying a public official last September after ignoring official orders to cancel a theater production with a gay leading character.
This story was originally published on Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:39 AM EST
Leave a Comment:
Cannibalism is okay though!
On that note, just where IS Idi Amin Dada these days? Is he still in France?
We have Scott Lively, an American whose activities in Uganda to get "kill the gays" legislation drawn up and nearly passed (it is likely to any day now) were funded in part by none other than Chic-Fil-A, to thank in no small part for the extreme anti-gay environment in Uganda.
When people said we were infringing on CFA's right to free speech and religion when we blasted them for their anti-gay shenanigans, we actually weren't. We were blasting their funding of such anti-gay organizations and activities as those run and carried out by the likes of Lively.
If railing against CFA's financial support of Uganda's extreme human rights violations is an infrigement on CFA's and others' free speech and religion, then the people here in the U.S. have a seriously @!$%#ed-up sense of what freedom really is.
They do make good sandwiches. :-) mmm hmm
As the Muslims say, "The mercy of God/Allah has no end". The fact that the Muslims and the Roman Christian influences are all derived from the same Hebrew text is truly frightening. These ancient hate filled doctrines were introduced to these Africans when they could not speak English or read a book. The Missionaries came in and taught these people the true meaning of their doctrines, kill all who do not conform.
I only wish that these people could be taught to undo the hate filled mental programming that they are afflicted with. The History of the Popes would be a good place to begin.
God's love is truly great indeed!
Lazarus
I think the international community should put sanctions on Uganda, for these human rights abuses. Discrimination against a minority should not be condoned.
Cut off ALL trade in and out. Hit them in the wallet and the food supply.
That's actually exactly what needs to happen. Robert Mugabe has put and kept his country in extreme poverty. We can cut off all aid and trade, and his citizens will honestly never know the difference, because they don't benefit from any of the help with give that country. It all goes to Mugabe's lackeys and goons. If we cut off all relations with them, aid or otherwise, it is his paid henchmen who will feel the pinch, and they'll turn on him, which is what that country desperately needs.
You know, I'm an American, and thus not up-to-date with all this "geography" stuff, but aren't Uganda and Zimbabwe different countries?
I'm pretty sure Robert Mugabe is the "President" of Zimbabwe, not Uganda.
Also, although atrocious, these really aren't sufficient grounds for sanctions. When you look at the countries that have suffered international sanctions, they've committed much worse crimes than this. Unilateral sanctions could happen, but you'd be wagering that attacking Uganda economically is going to help the cause of gay rights rather than just foster resentment against the US (unlikely).
Hey MoreJustice....Read what you wrote and listen to yourself while you're reading it. Now picture Bin Laden reading that, picture Hitler reading that, picture any other extremist reading that, extremist who believe that if you don't see it their way then you're only good dead. No one should have an opinion any more, is that what this boils down to? and furthermore what makes you so high and mighty that your opinion dictates what's good for everyone. Go eat some paste!
SF,
Oh yeah. I'm thoroughly confused there. *blush* But, Uganda's government is similarly run, hence my easy confusion. They're almost mirror images of each other. lol
But, yes, you are correct. Teach me to try to comment on foreign affairs while I'm in the middle of working and, therefore, not entirely astute about that on which I'm commenting. I'm actually quite embarrassed. lol
@#2.2
Sanctions are mostly imposed by US-lead west on countries that had committed crimes or no crimes(Cuba and Iran)
But when crimes committed by US (illegal war in Iraq and Afganistan) or israel (invasion of south Lebanan and Gaza), no sanctions are imposed on them. Ironic and hypocritic isn't it.
what?? why has the rainbow coalition not raced to uganda to protest this abuse
It's pretty damn far away, if you hadn't noticed. The Ugandans seem to have some very weird cultural phobias if they're that touchy about a "gay play". Then again, it wouldn't go over big in Iran or China...
When you're a guest in a foreign country, you don't break any laws if you're smart. You also follow the local customs and traditions. If Uganda wanted to be British, it would have remained a colony.
The same goes for the Silverman woman and her organization in Israel. If you want to protest 5000 years of Jewish tradition, do it in front of your own shul. The State of Israel is in great part a theocracy and is not going to succumb to "politically correct" as is happening in the decaying United States. Israel's traditions are as Middle Eastern as many of those of its Arab and Muslim enemies. Gender role is very strong in religious culture. In the social culture, women and men have tilled the soil, built the dams and cities, and fought with arms in Israel's defense. The Reform Jewish movement in conservative Israel is not going to be welcomed with open arms in another 5000 years.
No, the people running this theorcratic stuff in Israel are members of various ultra-Orthodox cults pushing a form of Judaism invented only 200-300 years ago. People like Silverman are well within their rights to protest the Jewish state being controlled by people not so dissimilar to the nuttier Christians in this country.
I've spotted the problem:
What is a British play producer doing wasting his time and efforts in Uganda in the first place?
Apparently trying to produce a play. Pity it didn't work out.
Imagine that, a country with morals.....
Well, they have laws against it in that country, and he should be respectful toward their laws. Perhaps if he reworte the play, and submitted it to the government there in order to get an approval before he started doing the casting this kind of thing would not happen. Hopefully he has learned his lesson, and does not repeat this mistake.
I'm all for freedom and expression and the arts, but that's just throwing rocks at a hornets nest. It's not a giant mystery that Uganda is against gays, valiant effort, but why the surprise?
Well, homosexual ACTS are illegal, but the play was simply ABOUT homosexuality, and the producer doesn't claim to be a gay rights advocate.
So I think he might have grounds to be surprised that even TALKING about homosexuality can get you deported.
If they say it's illegal then just don't do what's illegal or just don't go there. It's their country leave them alone. Unless you're from Uganda or live there i don't think anyone of us is at liberty to say what should or shouldn't go on in their country. America for one doesn't appreciate any other country telling them what they should or shouldn't do soooo........ :-)
Would you say that if they insisted on running a slave trade?
I agree, it's their country leave them alone.
This is the perfect country to live in for the members of Westboro Baptist Church. They'll be able to see first hand how god blesses this particular anti-gay country
Not Anti-Gay, Pro-Morals...
It's their country, glad to see they are doing what THEY think is right.....
No, Uganda doesn't want your Queer advances LMFAO.
About time a country with some damn morals & not afraid to admit it.
Britain should now deport all Ugandans.