tagged w/ Hanging Gays
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Police: Gardener admits killing gay rights activist in Uganda
From Tom Walsh, For CNN
February 3, 2011 4:46 p.m. EST
Suspect Enock Nsubuga was paraded in front of journalists in Kampala, Uganda, on Thursday.
Kampala, Uganda (CNN) -- Ugandan police announced Thursday the arrest of a 22-year-old man who they say confessed to killing gay rights activist David Kato.
In a news conference at which suspect Enock Nsubuga was presented to the media, authorities said he admitted using a hammer to bludgeon Kato to death.
Nsubuga was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon, though police said they'd been tracking him for several days.
The head of Uganda's national police, Kale Kayihura, said Thursday in the capital, Kampala, that Nsubuga was an ex-convict who had been working in Kato's garden at the time of the activist's death.
After being detained, Nsubuga admitted to killing Kato and explained why he did so, according to Kayihura.
According to the suspect, Kato, 46, promised to pay Nsubuga money for having sex with him. But Kato never followed through. An angered Nsubuga told police that he then took a hammer from the bathroom and fatally beat Kato.
Kayihura said he believes the attack was not a hate crime, as has been widely reported, but rather stemmed primarily from Nsubuga's desire to get money from Kato. The police chief denounced elements within the public, as well as the media, for reports that he claimed had fueled aggression against Uganda's homosexual community.
He specifically mentioned a report from Rolling Stone -- a Ugandan tabloid that is not affiliated with the iconic U.S. music magazine by the same name -- that published a list late last year of the African nation's "top 100 homosexuals" with their photos, addresses and a banner with the words "Hang Them." Kato's name and picture were on the list.
According to Kato's lawyer, the activist had feared for his safety prior to his death, even alerting police about his concerns.
Late last week, human rights activist Naomi Ruzindana said she did not believe the killing was a robbery gone wrong. "I don't think it's a coincidence that it happened ... he had got threats over and again," she said.
Nsubuga had a long criminal history, including being jailed recently for stealing a cell phone, police said.
According to neighbors, Nsubuga was last seen leaving the activist's house on Tuesday of last week. Kato was found dead the following day.
Chaos ensued at his funeral last Friday, after a pastor rebuked homosexuals at the service in Mukono, a small hillside village outside the capital. Mourners took away the man's microphone and police whisked him away from the angry crowds. A sympathetic Anglican bishop stepped in to finish the ceremony.
Homosexuality is illegal in most countries in Africa, where sodomy laws were introduced during colonialism. In Uganda, homosexual acts are punishable by 14 years to life in prison, according to rights activists.
Ugandan lawmakers shelved a controversial "anti-gay" proposal introduced in 2009 that would impose tough penalties against homosexuality, including life imprisonment and the death penalty.
Even with Nsubuga's arrest and alleged confession, as well as the earlier detainment of Kato's driver, the police chief said Thursday that the murder investigation is continuing.
ORIGINAL SUBMISSION:
http://current.com/shows/upstream/92944985_ugandan-gay-rights-activist-bludgeoned-to-death.htm
Note: The photo above is of the alleged killer, not of the beloved David Kato.Police: Gardener admits killing gay rights activist in Uganda
From Tom Walsh, For... more
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Ugandan gay rights activist bludgeoned to death
From Tom Walsh, For CNN
January 27, 2011 9:17 p.m. EST
What happened to David Kato?
Kampala, Uganda (CNN) --
A Ugandan gay rights activist whose name was published on a list of the nation's "top homosexuals" was bludgeoned to death in his home near the capital, his lawyer said Thursday.
A neighbor found David Kato dead and notified authorities, according to the lawyer, John Onyango.
Kato's money and some clothes were missing after the attack, Onyango said.
It was unclear whether Kato's killing was linked to his gay rights activism or a front-page story in a Ugandan tabloid that reignited anti-gay sentiments late last year.
The story included a list of "top 100 homosexuals" with their photos, addresses and a banner with the words "Hang Them." Kato's name and picture were on the list.
Arrest warrants have been issued for two suspects: a taxi driver found near Kato's house and an ex-convict who was staying with Kato before the killing, Onyango said.
Ugandan editor speaks out
Kato told CNN last year that he feared for his life after the list was released. His lawyer said he had informed authorities in Mukono, the town where he lived, of his fears.
"The villagers want to set my house ablaze," he told CNN at the time. "They want to burn my house. ... (They say,) 'Can you go away before my house is burned?'"
Authorities in the Mukono criminal investigations department declined to comment pending further investigation.
Activists decried the attack, and urged authorities in the east African nation to investigate the killing. They called on the government to protect them from violence, and act on threats and hostility toward them.
"David Kato's death is a tragic loss to the human rights community. David had faced the increased threats to Ugandan LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people bravely and will be sorely missed," said Maria Burnett, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch.
U.S. President Barack Obama said he was saddened by the death of Kato, whom he called a "powerful advocate for fairness and freedom."
"At home and around the world, LGBT persons continue to be subjected to unconscionable bullying, discrimination, and hate," the president said in a written statement. "In the weeks preceding David Kato's murder in Uganda, five members of the LGBT community in Honduras were also murdered. It is essential that the governments of Uganda and Honduras investigate these killings and hold the perpetrators accountable."
Earlier this year, Kato and two activists won a case against the magazine that published the list. The court ruled that media in Uganda are barred from releasing details of known or potential homosexuals in the country.
The editor of the Rolling Stone, the tabloid that published the list, denounced the attacks and said he sympathized with the victim's family.
"When we called for hanging of gay people, we meant ... after they have gone through the legal process," said Giles Muhame. "I did not call for them to be killed in cold blood like he was."
The Rolling Stone tabloid is not affiliated with the iconic U.S. music magazine by the same name.
Homosexuality is illegal in most countries in Africa, where sodomy laws were introduced during colonialism. In Uganda, homosexual acts are punishable by 14 years to life in prison, according to rights activists.
The U.S. Mission in Kampala, Uganda, said, "David's courageous devotion to promoting the universal human rights of members of Uganda's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community improved the lives of minority populations in Uganda and throughout Africa, and his selfless dedication to defending human rights and speaking out against injustice served as inspiration to human rights defenders around the world."
CNN's David McKenzie contributed to this report.Ugandan gay rights activist bludgeoned to death
From Tom Walsh, For CNN
January 27,... more
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