Botswana's High Court on Tuesday 11th June, 2019, ruled in favour of decriminalising homosexuality, handing down a landmark verdict greeted with joy by gay rights campaigners.

Under the country's 1965 penal code, homosexuality is punishable by a jail term of up to seven years.

But Judge Michael Elburu declared it was time to “set aside” the “provisions of a Victorian era” and ordered the laws be amended.

In a courtroom packed with activists, the judge declared that the current laws oppressed a minority of the population.

“There's nothing reasonable in discriminating,” he said.

“We say the time has come that private, same sexuality must be decriminalised.”

"It is a variety of human sexuality," he said.

Jubilation erupted in the courtroom as the decision was announced, and campaigners waved the rainbow flag of gay rights.

In Geneva, the UN agency UNAIDS added to the applause.

The High Court in Botswana on Thursday started hearing an application seeking to decriminalise homosexuality.

"This is a historic ruling for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Botswana," Gunilla Carlsson, UNAIDS' executive director, said in a statement.

"It restores privacy, respect and dignity to the country's LGBT people, and it is a day to celebrate pride, compassion and love."

"Botswana's ruling today to decriminalize #homosexual sex is a refreshing nod to human dignity, privacy, and equality," Neela Ghoshal, a specialist at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said in a tweet.