A Kenyan court on Thursday ruled that the forced anal examination of men suspected of being gay is unlawful.
Rights groups have often argued that the tests are a form of torture, and should be abolished.
Just like most African countries, homosexual acts are illegal in Kenya, and are punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Until Thursday, Kenya was one of at least eight countries worldwide where men suspected of being gay were put through the forced anal tests. Six of the eight countries are in Africa.
The decision by the Court of Appeal overturns a previous ruling from 2016 on the legality of such examinations, and whether they violate an individual’s privacy.
HRW says the “cruel, inhuman and humiliating” process usually involves medical personnel “inserting their fingers, and sometimes other objects, into the anus of the accused. In other cases, men are ordered to strip naked and bend over or lie down with their feet in stirrups while doctors “visually” examine their anal regions”.
LGBTQ campaigners hope the ruling will influence another court case under way to decriminalize gay sex.
