US: Immigration recommends Ugandan gay rights activist for asylum

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Immigration officials in the US have advised that a leading Ugandan gay rights activist should be granted asylum.

John Abdallah Wambere said he would continue to advocate for gay rights in Uganda from the US, and hailed the recommendation to grant him asylum.

Now in New York City, Wambere had attended a gay rights benefit last week, before the US Citizenship and Immigration Service issued a letter on 11 September recommending him for asylum.

According to legal organisation Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, final approval is still needed, as Wambere is subject to a mandatory background check.

Wambere says he has been evicted three times, arrested and beaten unconscious.