Criminal Code
Non-commercial, private, adult, and consensual homosexual relations are not illegal. The age of consent for any sexual act is 18. LGBT Rwandans, however, have reported being harassed, blackmailed, and even arrested by the police under various laws dealing with public order and morality.
On 16 December 2009, the national parliament debated whether to make homosexuality a criminal offense, with a punishment of 5–10 years' imprisonment. This legislation was similar to the controversial anti-homosexuality bill in the neighboring country of Uganda. Justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama, however, condemned and refuted reports that the government intended to criminalize homosexual acts, saying that sexual orientation is a private matter, not a state business.
Read more about this topic: LGBT Rights In Rwanda
Famous quotes containing the words criminal and/or code:
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—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
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—Herman Melville (1819–1891)