Strasbourg, 18/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament has criticised draft anti-gay and lesbian legislation tabled in September 2009by the Ugandan parliament. In a resolution adopted on Thursday 17 December 2009, MEPs criticised the draft law violating equality, non-discrimination and freedom of expression. They urge the Ugandan government to scrap the draft law that would make homosexuality a criminal offence with the penalty of life imprisonment or a death sentence for suspected gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals. If the said law were to come into force, it would also require parents, teachers and doctors to report any known homosexuals in their acquaintance to the authorities or risk imprisonment. The MEPs remind the Ugandan government of its obligations under international law and the Cotonou Agreement under which Uganda pledged to respect universal human rights. Homosexuality is legal in only 13 countries in Africa. Homosexuality is a criminal office in 38 countries and is punishable by the death penalty in Mauritania, Sudan and northern Nigeria. The EP urges the EU Council of Ministers and the European Commission to protest to the Ugandan government and, if the law is passed and/or international human rights are violated, then to reconsider its commitments to Uganda. If the law comes in and/or international human rights are violated, then the MEP want the venue of the Conference to revise the Rome Statute scheduled for 31 May 2010 to be shifted from Uganda to a different country. (A.B. trans fl)