A Ugandan court has thrown out the first case filed under the country’s strict anti-gay law, a lawyer said Tuesday. The Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, which carries penalties of up to life imprisonment for consensual same-sex relations and death for “aggravated homosexuality”, had seen its first case dismissed due to the accused’s mental health.

The case involved a 25-year-old man accused of having sex with a 41-year-old man, facing possible death penalty charges. Charges were later reduced to “unnatural offences”, carrying a life sentence. The court ruled the accused, who spent 350 days in custody, was unfit for trial due to mental instability.

LGBTQ activist Richard Lusimbo hailed the decision as “a major breakthrough”, saying detaining someone without trial is “injustice at its worst”. The law, enacted in a conservative Christian country, sparked international outrage and funding suspensions.