Very Sad
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Alright, I copied this article from another blog. It made me cry (plus I've been drinking). It is very, very sad. As a matter of fact, I am not including a picture with this post.
The country Iraq, liberated by U.S. forces and purportedly on the road to democracy, is set to execute more than 100 prisoners accused of the crime of homosexuality, says a GLBT group headed by an exiled Iraqi gay man.
The charge comes from Iraqi LGBT, which is run from London by exiled gay Iraqi Ali Hili, according to a March 31 article posted at UK Gay News.
Hili claims that the prisoners face execution from the Iraqi government in groups of 20 starting this week.
A total of 128 Iraqis accused of being gay face death.
The group has posted a petition at its Web site to protest the reportedly imminent executions, and has issued an appeal to the United Kingdom and to the UN’s Human Rights Commission to exert political pressure on the Iraqi government to stop the executions from taking place.
Hili spoke with UK Gay News, saying, "We have information and reports on members of our community [who have] been arrested and[are] waiting for execution for the crimes of homosexuality."
Mr. Hili said that his group, which operates a series of safe houses for gay and lesbian Iraqis, has lost seventeen member since 2005.
Mr. Hili said that those missing members were abducted and killed by personnel associated with the Iraqi government’s Minister of the Interior and its police force.
Said Mr. Hili, "The [imposition of the] death penalty has been increasing at an alarming rate in Iraq since the new Iraqi regime re-introduced it in August, 2004.
"In 2008, at least 285 people were sentenced to death, and at least 34 executed," Mr. Hili continued.
"In 2007, at least 199 people were sentenced to death, and 33 were executed, while in 2006 at least 65 people were put to death."
Mr. Hili added, "The actual figures could be much higher, as there are no official statistics for the number of prisoners facing execution."
The Iraqi government has not identified those who are scheduled for execution, the article said, and Mr. Hili noted that in all probability the condemned were sentenced by the country’s Central Criminal Court (CCCI), which is known for trials that do not meet internationally recognized criteria for trials.
Said Hilli, "Allegations of torture are not being investigated adequately or at all by the CCCI.
"Torture of detainees held by Iraqi security forces remains rife," he added.
"The Iraqi government must order an immediate halt to these executions and establish a moratorium on all further executions," Mr. Hili said, "particularly since due process cannot be guaranteed."
Added Hili, "The state executing people for ’morals’ crimes is also obviously unacceptable and deplorable."
The article noted that the Iraqi government was called upon by Amnesty International to disclose the identities and other particulars in the cases of those who face execution this week
Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out on the issue of GLBT persecution worldwide, saying, "Human rights is and always will be one of the pillars of [American] foreign policy [under the Obama administration]."
Added Ms. Clinton, who was addressing the European Parliament in Brussels, "And, in particular, the persecution and discrimination against gays and lesbians is something that we take very seriously."
Added Ms. Clinton, "It is terribly unfortunate that right now in many places in the world, violence against gays and lesbians, [and] certainly discrimination and prejudice, [is] not just occurring, but condoned and protected" by governments inimical to gay people.
Mr. Hili’s allegations follow years of similar reports about gays and, to a lesser extent, lesbians being targeted for death by Iraqi officials and roving "death squads" who take their cue from anti-gay religious leaders.
A CNN.com article posted last July reported on the experiences of a young gay man identified as "Kamal," a 16-year-old gay man who faced the Iraqi version of "justice" regarding gays when he fell into the hands of a gang in 2005.
Kamal’s treatment at the hands of the armed gang included being raped repeatedly by the men, who eventually released him in exchange for a ransom of $1,500.
Said the young man, "I told my family that I was beaten by them, but I did not dare to tell my family that I was raped by them.
"I could not say it, it’s too much shame."
Even now, Kami and a gay friend called "Rami" say that they must live lives of complete discretion, lest lawless gangs--or the police--detain them and subject them to torture and death.
The U.S. invasion of Iraq six years ago was touted as a blow for freedom and democracy. But for gays and lesbians, life had "deteriorated," the CNN article said: under the rule of Saddam Hussein, a secular tyrant, gays and lesbians might have been subjected to contempt, but they did not suffer the widespread and systematic violence to which they are now subjected.
Alright, I copied this article from another blog. It made me cry (plus I've been drinking). It is very, very sad. As a matter of fact, I am not including a picture with this post.
The country Iraq, liberated by U.S. forces and purportedly on the road to democracy, is set to execute more than 100 prisoners accused of the crime of homosexuality, says a GLBT group headed by an exiled Iraqi gay man.
The charge comes from Iraqi LGBT, which is run from London by exiled gay Iraqi Ali Hili, according to a March 31 article posted at UK Gay News.
Hili claims that the prisoners face execution from the Iraqi government in groups of 20 starting this week.
A total of 128 Iraqis accused of being gay face death.
The group has posted a petition at its Web site to protest the reportedly imminent executions, and has issued an appeal to the United Kingdom and to the UN’s Human Rights Commission to exert political pressure on the Iraqi government to stop the executions from taking place.
Hili spoke with UK Gay News, saying, "We have information and reports on members of our community [who have] been arrested and[are] waiting for execution for the crimes of homosexuality."
Mr. Hili said that his group, which operates a series of safe houses for gay and lesbian Iraqis, has lost seventeen member since 2005.
Mr. Hili said that those missing members were abducted and killed by personnel associated with the Iraqi government’s Minister of the Interior and its police force.
Said Mr. Hili, "The [imposition of the] death penalty has been increasing at an alarming rate in Iraq since the new Iraqi regime re-introduced it in August, 2004.
"In 2008, at least 285 people were sentenced to death, and at least 34 executed," Mr. Hili continued.
"In 2007, at least 199 people were sentenced to death, and 33 were executed, while in 2006 at least 65 people were put to death."
Mr. Hili added, "The actual figures could be much higher, as there are no official statistics for the number of prisoners facing execution."
The Iraqi government has not identified those who are scheduled for execution, the article said, and Mr. Hili noted that in all probability the condemned were sentenced by the country’s Central Criminal Court (CCCI), which is known for trials that do not meet internationally recognized criteria for trials.
Said Hilli, "Allegations of torture are not being investigated adequately or at all by the CCCI.
"Torture of detainees held by Iraqi security forces remains rife," he added.
"The Iraqi government must order an immediate halt to these executions and establish a moratorium on all further executions," Mr. Hili said, "particularly since due process cannot be guaranteed."
Added Hili, "The state executing people for ’morals’ crimes is also obviously unacceptable and deplorable."
The article noted that the Iraqi government was called upon by Amnesty International to disclose the identities and other particulars in the cases of those who face execution this week
Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out on the issue of GLBT persecution worldwide, saying, "Human rights is and always will be one of the pillars of [American] foreign policy [under the Obama administration]."
Added Ms. Clinton, who was addressing the European Parliament in Brussels, "And, in particular, the persecution and discrimination against gays and lesbians is something that we take very seriously."
Added Ms. Clinton, "It is terribly unfortunate that right now in many places in the world, violence against gays and lesbians, [and] certainly discrimination and prejudice, [is] not just occurring, but condoned and protected" by governments inimical to gay people.
Mr. Hili’s allegations follow years of similar reports about gays and, to a lesser extent, lesbians being targeted for death by Iraqi officials and roving "death squads" who take their cue from anti-gay religious leaders.
A CNN.com article posted last July reported on the experiences of a young gay man identified as "Kamal," a 16-year-old gay man who faced the Iraqi version of "justice" regarding gays when he fell into the hands of a gang in 2005.
Kamal’s treatment at the hands of the armed gang included being raped repeatedly by the men, who eventually released him in exchange for a ransom of $1,500.
Said the young man, "I told my family that I was beaten by them, but I did not dare to tell my family that I was raped by them.
"I could not say it, it’s too much shame."
Even now, Kami and a gay friend called "Rami" say that they must live lives of complete discretion, lest lawless gangs--or the police--detain them and subject them to torture and death.
The U.S. invasion of Iraq six years ago was touted as a blow for freedom and democracy. But for gays and lesbians, life had "deteriorated," the CNN article said: under the rule of Saddam Hussein, a secular tyrant, gays and lesbians might have been subjected to contempt, but they did not suffer the widespread and systematic violence to which they are now subjected.
posted by Kev at
12:00 AM
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