Ethiopia announced it will be cracking down on gay sex happening in various locations throughout the capital city of Addis Ababa.
The Addis Ababa City Peace and Security Administration Bureau (AACPSAB) announced Thursday its office, along with Addis Ababa police officers, were “taking action” regarding gay sex occurring in “hotels, bars, and restaurants,” according to a statement posted on Facebook. Countries such as Ghana and Uganda have also enacted laws criminalizing homosexuality.
“If there is any compassion on entertainment service institutions that commit and carry out this disgusting act that is hated by both men and God, [the AACPSAB] has stated that they will continue to take action in cooperation with the police,” the bureau wrote in its post.
Under Ethiopia’s official criminal code, Articles 629 and 630 address homosexuality and other indecent acts. In Article 629, it is mentioned that “whoever performs with another person of the same sex a homosexual act, or any other indecent act, is punishable with simple imprisonment.”
Article 630 explains that in instances where the criminal “takes unfair advantage” over someone, the punishment “shall be simple imprisonment for not less than one year.” In more serious instances, the punishment can be imprisonment of up to ten years. (RELATED: Ugandan Bill Would Ban ‘Identifying’ As LGBTQ)
In instances where the criminal uses “violence, intimidation, or coercion” the punishment could be anywhere between three to 15 years in prison, according to Ethiopia’s criminal code.