An HIV-positive man convicted of intentionally infecting seven women with the deadly disease was declared a "dangerous offender" by a Canadian court Tuesday - meaning he can be imprisoned indefinitely.
Johnson Aziga, 55, was convicted in 2009 of two counts of first-degree murder and 10 counts of aggravated sexual assault for not informing his partners of his disease, Toronto's Globe and Mail reported.
He had unprotected sex with at least 11 women, the paper reported. Seven of his partners contracted the virus; two of them later died of AIDS-related cancers.
Under Canadian law, Aziga would have been eligible for parole after serving 25 years in prison. But the "dangerous-offender" designation means the Canadian government can legally keep the Ugandan immigrant behind bars indefinitely, the paper reported.
The court was not swayed by Aziga's bizarre pledge that if he were ever released he would have the word tattooed on his palms to serve as a warning to potential lovers.
Aziga, who was diagnosed in 1996, has previously admitted to not informing his sex partners of his condition - but said he was ignorant of the ramifications.
He has also previously charged that authorities can't prove he was responsible for infecting the women.
Following the court's ruling Tuesday, Aziga, of Hamilton, Ontario, gave a rambling hour-long statement. He threatened to renounce his Canadian citizenship, and vowed to appeal the decision.
"I am a man of consciousness," he told the court, according to CBC News. "I listen to it. It is clear, unambiguous and unmistakable. I had no intention to deliberately pass on my HIV to anyone."
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