A group of 21 lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and gender-diverse (LGBT) activists who were arrested last month while attending a conference in southern Ghana have been granted bail Africa Daily News, New York has learnt.
Accoding to reports, they were charged with ‘unlawful assembly‘, and at the time of their arrest were accused by police of sharing books and flyers with titles including “Coming out” and ‘All about Trans‘.
Human Rights Watch said in 2018 that queer Ghanaians ‘suffer widespread discrimination and abuse both in public and in family settings’.
Africa Daily News, New York can confirm that no law in Ghana that says being LGBT is illegal, but same-sex relationships are criminalised.
Last week the UN called for the group’s immediate release, saying ‘all evidence available points to the fact that they were detained while they were peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.’
The group’s previous bail application had been denied. However, following the new development, their case will now be heard at a later date.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
