A district court in Osaka, western Japan, has ordered the central government to grant refugee status to a Ugandan woman who says she fled to Japan as she was persecuted for being homosexual.

The woman in her 30s, who currently lives in the Kansai region, says she was arrested and beaten in Uganda for being a lesbian and suffered serious injuries. She fled to Japan three years ago.

Upon entering Japan, she was not recognized as a refugee and was ordered to leave the country. She filed a lawsuit seeking refugee status from the government.

The government argued that reports of homosexuals being detained or punished in Uganda lack credibility.

It also said the woman was not likely to be penalized for being homosexual, so she could not be recognized as a refugee. ...continue reading