[JURIST] A group of Uganda rights activists on Tuesday petitioned the country’s Constitutional Court to overturn a recent law criminalizing the promotion and recognition of homosexual relations. President Yoweri Museveni signed the bill into law [JURIST report] last month, which imposes life sentences for those convicted of “aggravated homosexuality.” The petitioners [AFP report], led by the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law [advocacy website], said that the law’s passage has resulted in violence and retaliation against gays. In additional to having the law declared unconstitutional, petitioners are also seeking to block media outlets from publishing names of people suspected of homosexuality.

The controversial bill has garnered international criticism since its introduction in 2009. It was approved by parliament [JURIST report] in December. The legislation originally called for the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” but that provision was dropped [JURIST report] in 2012.