KAMPALA, May 18 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A Ugandan court on Monday ordered the release of 19 LGBT+ people jailed for almost 50 days for risking spreading the new coronavirus after public prosecutors withdrew the charges.

The 13 gay men, two bisexual men and four transgender women were arrested on March 29 when police raided an LGBT+ shelter on the outskirts of Kampala. Police said they were violating social distancing rules banning gatherings of more than 10 people.

Human rights groups said authorities were using the restrictions to target sexual minorities in the east African nation, where gay sex carries a life sentence and homophobia and the persecution of LGBT+ people are widespread.

The ruling by the magistrate's court said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had withdrawn the charge of "doing a neglect act likely to spread infection of disease" against the group and ordered that they be released from prison.

"It is the right decision for the DPP to withdraw the charges since it was a targeted arrest with trumped up charges," said Patricia Kimera, a lawyer from the Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF) who is representing the group.

Kimera said HRAPF had asked the DPP to dismiss the case as the charges were unfounded. The ban on gatherings pertained to public places and not shelters, she said. Read more via Reuters