When an anonymous caller threatened to rape and arrest Nyombi Morris unless he stopped “promoting homosexuality,” he knew he had to flee Uganda. The 26-year-old climate activist became outspoken about LGBTQ+ rights after his sister was expelled from school last year when it was revealed she was a lesbian, but his claims have faced fierce backlash. facing.
And things got even worse after his environmental nonprofit, Earth Volunteers, began working with LGBTQ+ groups to support young people who identify as gay and are at risk of persecution. It got worse.
Morris has been accused online of using the influence he gained from his climate justice campaign to “advance a foreign ideology” on gender and sexual rights, and of recruiting high school students to “gay clubs” through youth-led organizations. It was done.
“result [of LGBTQ+ advocacy in Uganda] It’s scary,” Morris says. “Ever since these allegations began, people have been afraid to engage with me because they risk being unfairly labeled.” [gay] Activist. ”
The online attack quickly had an offline impact on Morris. Many schools withdrew from Earth Volunteers’ environmental projects, and his family began to face retaliation at home and at school. His mother was informed by the local council that Morris had been banned from the village due to his links to the LGBTQ+ community.
Human rights defenders are accused of being LGBTQ+ and face threats to intimidate them into silence Roland Ebore, Amnesty International
Morris’ mother was then called by police, who asked her whereabouts and had her cellphone confiscated. His two brothers were suspended from school for their association with him.
Mr Morris said the threats escalated after he resumed activity against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), a controversial project that would transport oil from Uganda’s Kingfisher field on the shores of Lake Albert to Tanzania. .
He ran into trouble with authorities in 2022 for his anti-pipeline protests and had stopped speaking publicly about the project until earlier this year, following the arrest of several activists during EACOP protests. once again expressed concern.
But it wasn’t until tabloids and other news outlets began reporting claims that he was gay that Morris, who identifies as straight, began to fear for his safety. His environmental activism has put him under threat, but claims that he is gay or “promotes homosexuality” are against him under the world’s toughest anti-LGBTQ+ laws passed last year. It gave the authorities a legal basis for the arrest.
The anti-homosexuality law imposes up to 20 years in prison for “recruiting, promoting, or financing” same-sex “activities,” and life imprisonment or the death penalty for certain same-sex acts, making it a serious threat to society. It has a chilling effect. Freedom of expression, according to an Amnesty International report released this week.
Nyombi Morris, a climate activist who runs the environmental nonprofit Earth Volunteers, says she cannot return to Uganda because of the dangers she faces. Photo: Handout
Roland Ebore, Amnesty International’s Uganda researcher, said: “The punitive nature of anti-gay laws means that human rights defenders and political activists are forced to use the law simply to gag or threaten them into silence. “They themselves face the threat of being accused of being LGBTQ+.”
The report documents a widespread pattern of technology-driven attacks against LGBTQ+ people and rights defenders in Uganda. This includes doxxing (short for “letter drop”; intentionally exposing someone’s identity or personal information online without their consent), outing (revealing someone’s sexuality), and blackmailing. . , impersonation, hacking, and disinformation. The report said authorities not only failed to prevent or address these abuses, but also played an active role in encouraging and condoning them.
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Many LGBTQ+ people and rights advocates have had to change the way they operate online, fearing exposure to violence, illegal surveillance, and arbitrary arrest.
“Overzealousness is [law] The use of force to arrest or prosecute these cases means that there may not be a proper investigation,” Ebore said. “In some cases, police may use strict laws and penalties to extort people. [those under investigation]”
After threats against Morris escalated, he went into hiding for several weeks before fleeing to Denmark with the help of Uganda-based human rights group Defend Defenders, where he applied for asylum.
After his bank account was frozen following extraordinary scrutiny from banks and tax authorities, Mr Morris said he could barely meet his basic needs with a meager government subsidy and support from friends. He said he was living in “crowded” conditions. Spending long, idle days at the center while awaiting a decision on asylum status is “emotionally exhausting,” he says.
“I can’t go back to Uganda because politically I’m not on the same page as the government, and that would put me at risk,” Morris says.
“It’s hard to have my life stopped like this, but I can’t stop anymore. I have to be part of the solution in climate justice and human rights, and that’s what keeps me going.” It’s the driving force.”
