Tag Archives: Amnesty International

Iran Sentences Gay Couple to Death

Egypt ‘Hunting’ Down Gay Men, Conducting Anal Exams and Torture To Prove “Debauchery”

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Amnesty International reports that at least 11 men have since been arrested,  and one man has been sentenced to six years in jail after Egyptian media launched a  critical campaign against those who raised the rainbow flag at a Mashrou’ Leila concert, a popular Lebanese alternative rock band whose lead singer is openly gay.

Six of the Egyptian men arrested for “promoting sexual deviancy” and “debauchery” on social media will be subjected to anal examinations ahead of their October 1 trial.

Via The Sydney Morning Herald:

Amnesty said the Forensic Medical Authority was due to subject the six men to anal examinations to determine whether they have had homosexual sex.

Judicial sources said any defendant accused of “debauchery” or “sexual deviancy”, a euphemism for homosexuality in Egypt, is subjected to a medical examination based on an order from the Public Prosecutor.

 “Allegations of torturing or insulting those medically examined are lies not worth responding to. The examinations are carried out by a forensic doctor who swore to respect his profession and its ethics,” one judicial source said.
“The fact that Egypt’s Public Prosecutor is prioritizing hunting down people based on their perceived sexual orientation is utterly deplorable. These men should be released immediately and unconditionally, not put on trial,” said Najia Bounaim, North Africa Campaigns Director at Amnesty International.

Egypt’s Muslim religious establishment is voicing its support for the government’s moves against homosexuals.

“Al Azhar will stand against calls for sexual perversion the same way it has stood against extremist groups,” a preacher at the 1000-year-old seat of Sunni Muslim learning said in his Friday prayers sermon.

Although homosexuality is not specifically outlawed in Egypt, it is a conservative society and discrimination is rife. Gay men are frequently arrested and typically charged with debauchery, immorality or blasphemy.

NOT ONLY RUSSIA: 2 Men In Zambia Face 15 Years In Prison For “Acts Against The Order Of Nature”

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Zambia gay persecution

Amnesty International reports that two gay men are being held in prison indefinitely while they are awaiting trail for being charged with “Acts Against The Order Of Nature”

Philip Mubiana, a hair dresser and James Mwape, a brick layer, were charged with committing acts “against the order of nature”. They have been in custody for more than four months after being denied bail. If convicted they face a minimum of 15 years in jail. Laws prohibiting consensual, private, same-sex sexual activity criminalise the legitimate exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, conscience, expression and privacy. These are protected in numerous treaties ratified by Zambia including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and People’s Right.

In a separate case, human rights activist Paul Kasonkomona also faces charges of “idle and disorderly conduct” after giving a television interview in April urging Zambia to recognize the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals.

U.S. assistance to Zambia has exceeded well over half a billion dollars in recent years.   USAID’s program in Zambia includes HIV/AIDS programs and monies to fight corruption and increase trade under the MCA Threshold Program.

Zambia which is part of the United Nations has been disregarding the U.N’.s Universal Declaration of Human Rights laws for years without suffering any ramifications.

2 Wounded As First Kyiv, Ukraine Pride Parade Cancelled After Threats From The Ultra Right

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Two Ukranian LGBT activists were beaten up and tear gassed by a dozen youths in central after the first ever Kyiv, Ukraine Pride Parade was abruptly cancelled just 30 minutes vefore its start time today after Ukranian Police advised pride organizers that 500 ultra-right football hooligans were en route to the rally point with the intention of breaking it up and preventing the march from going ahead.

Senior Kyiv police officials had previously told pride organizers that he was not prepared to put his officers in harm’s way for the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.

“It has been clear from the start that the Kyiv police department did not want this march to go ahead. Their reluctance to commit to the event and to put adequate security measures in place to protect demonstrators left organizers fearing for their safety,” said Max Tucker, Ukraine campaigner at Amnesty International.

The Ukraine parliamentary committee is currently working on a bill that like the one recently passed in St. Petersburg, Russia would restrict the distribution of and access to information “promoting homosexuality” and would amend several laws including the law on protection of public morals, the law on print media, the law on television and radio broadcasting, the law on publishing and the Criminal Code.

If passed the bill would directly discriminate against Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual individuals in the exercise of their right to freedom of expression.