Updated on Friday, July 03, 2009, 21:59 IST

London, July 03: The Amnesty International has welcomed Delhi High Court's decision to decriminalise homosexuality, and appealed to other countries to follow India's example.

It said the decision was a significant step towards ensuring that people in India can express their sexual orientation or gender identity without fear or discrimination.

"The decision is a significant step towards ensuring that people in India can express their sexual orientation and gender identity without fear or discrimination," Amnesty International's Asia Pacific Deputy Director Madhu Malhotra said.

"This British colonial legacy has done untold harm to generations of individuals in India and across the Commonwealth," Malhotra said.

We urges the Indian government to address abuse and discrimination by police and other officials and take measures to end it on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in access to economic, social and cultural rights, including housing, employment and health services, she said.

The Naz Foundation, an Indian sexual rights organisation which brought the case against Section 377, told Amnesty International that "it's an incredible day, it's been a long battle".

It said, "today homosexuality has been decriminalised but not legalised. It is a baby step but finally India has entered the 21st century."

Amnesty International asked countries that continued to criminalise homosexuality to follow India's example and repeal those laws.

The majority of these laws are retained within Commonwealth countries.

Bureau Report