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3601.  |
Afghanistan US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2007 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor - 3/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination<br><br> The law criminalizes homosexual activity; however, the authorities only sporadically enforced the prohibition. A recent UNHCR report noted that most homosexual persons hid their sexual orientation. Many observers believed that societal disapproval of homosexuality was partly the cause for the prevalence of rape of young boys. During 2006 the Taliban published a new set of rules that explicitly forbade the recruitment of young boys for sexual pleasure.
(PDF - 110 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 416)
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| 3602. |
Albania-US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices -2007 -Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor-3/6/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment<br><br> The constitution and law prohibit such actions; however, the police and prison guards sometimes beat and abused suspects and detainees. The Albanian Helsinki Committee (AHC) and the Albanian Human Rights Group (AHRG) reported that police sometimes used excessive force or inhumane treatment. According to the AHRG, most mistreatment took place at the time of arrest or initial detention. Roma, Balkan-Egyptians, and homosexuals were particularly vulnerable to police abuse. In January the ombudsman investigated an abuse complaint by inmate Ardian Kokici that prison guards physically abused him during a cell inspection in the Rrogozhine Prison. The ombudsman verified obvious signs of physical violence on Kokici's body 10 days after the event. No action was taken against prison officials responsible for the abuse. The ombudsman had verified similar abuses in other prisons and recommended the redrafting of cell inspection regulations, which were missing in some prisons and substandard in others.<br><br>
The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture published a report based on its 2006 inspection of the country's prisons and detention centers. The report detailed widespread inhuman treatment and physical abuse of prisoners and detainees, and indicated that little progress had been made in implementing longstanding recommendations. During the year there were reports that police in various localities, such as Korca and Vlora, beat and mistreated persons during arrest or while in pretrial detention.
Amnesty International (AI) reported allegations in March that police hit Dorian Leci on the head with a pistol butt and kicked and beat him as he was being arrested in Tirana. Leci filed a criminal complaint against a police officer, alleging the use of force, abuse of office, and torture. The prosecutor declined to open an investigation into the complaint and reportedly failed to inform Leci of this decision, as required by law. His case was at trial at year's end. The officer was dismissed from the police force.
In the alleged 2006 beating of Arben Belaj by Dritan Veizaj, a member of the Vlora police, Veizaj was suspended from duty pending the final outcome of a court investigation. His trial was underway at the end of the year.
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination
As in previous years, NGOs claimed that police targeted the homosexual community for abuse. According to the Albanian Gay and Lesbian Association, the police arbitrarily arrested homosexuals and then physically and verbally abused them while they were in detention.
The Albanian Human Rights Group reports that during the year police harassed members of the Albanian Gay and Lesbian Association and other known homosexuals, sometimes searching their homes without a warrant.
A 2006 UN Development Program (UNDP) report on HIV/AIDS in the country stated that citizens perceived little confidentiality in their HIV test results. Social stigmatization and severe discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS were also common.
During the year two HIV-positive minors were removed from their schools and relocated at the request of their classmates' parents, who were afraid of further infection among the students.
(PDF - 113 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 289)
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| 3603. |
Armenia-US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices -2007-Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor-3/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination<br><br> Persons who were openly gay were exempted from military service, purportedly because of concerns that they would be abused by fellow servicemen. However, the legal pretext for this exemption is predicated on a medical finding of gays possessing a mental disorder, which is stamped in their passports and can affect their future. Local observers noted that unlike in previous years, there were no reported cases of police harassment of homosexuals through blackmail, extortion, or violence. Nevertheless, societal attitudes and harassment towards homosexuality remained severe, and hampered homosexuals' access to medical care.
(PDF - 111 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 448)
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| 3604. |
Bahamas-US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices -2007 -Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor-3/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination<br><br> Societal discrimination against homosexuals occurred, with some persons reporting job and housing discrimination based upon sexual orientation. Although homosexual relations between consenting adults are legal, there was no legislation to address the human rights concerns of homosexuals, lesbians, bisexuals, or transgendered persons. In March 2006 the Constitutional Review Commission found that sexual orientation did not deserve protection against discrimination. Religious organizations and individual activists opposed a September request by a gay rights group for the cable monopoly to add a gay and lesbian channel to its programming. In the ensuing media controversy, opponents called for recriminalizing homosexual acts, and religious leaders criticized a major newspaper for giving what they considered undue coverage to the gay rights group. Media reports, in turn, referred to a "campaign" against the "gay agenda" or lifestyle by opponents of the proposal. The organizer of a gay and lesbian cruise accused authorities of harassment in shutting down a party at a downtown club on October 7, due to alleged lewd behavior and immigration violations. Police officials denied inappropriate conduct. Sensationalistic media reporting of reputed gay links in two high-profile murders in Nassau in November, under police investigation at year's end, reflected the atmosphere of societal intolerance.
(PDF - 114 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 440)
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| 3605. |
Bahrain-US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices -2007 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor -3/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination<br><br> The law does not criminalize homosexual relationships between consenting adults of at least 21 years of age. Reports of crimes in the media did not regularly specify if a victim of a crime was an alleged homosexual or had HIV/AIDS. While discrimination was not common or apparent, both attributes are socially taboo and not widely covered in the media.
(PDF - 110 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 408)
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| 3606. |
Barbados-US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices -2007 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor -3/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination<br><br> The law criminalizes consensual homosexual relations, and there are no laws that prohibit discrimination against a person on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, housing, education, or health care. In March the UN Human Rights Committee expressed its concern over discrimination against homosexuals in the country. Although no statistics were available, anecdotal evidence suggested that societal discrimination against homosexuals occurred. In September the chief of prisons admitted that some homosexual prisoners had been placed in special security cells but were still beaten by other inmates for being homosexual.
(PDF - 110 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 386)
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| 3607. |
Belarus-US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices -2007 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor-3/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination<br><br> Homosexuality is not illegal, although discrimination was a problem. Homophobia was widespread, and harassment occurred. According to a local gay rights group, government-controlled media discouraged participation in the protests following the March 2006 presidential election by saying they were part of a "gay revolution." In July 2006 state media broadcast a police expose of a Latvian diplomat in Minsk, whom authorities accused of distributing pornography. The program exploited his sexual orientation and included several minutes of hidden-camera footage of the diplomat engaging in homosexual activities. The police dropped the investigation several months later. In November 2006 gay rights leaders were forced to cancel an international lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender conference after police raided an apartment, seizing conference materials and detaining organizers.
(PDF - 112 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 350)
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| 3608. |
Bosnia and Herzegovina-US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices -2007 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor-3/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination <br><br> While the law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, it was not enforced in practice, and there was frequent societal discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons. For example, in September RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik publicly commented on the sexuality of the BiH Transparency International director, stating that he would not permit him to enter his offices because "I simply do not allow various 'faggots' into my cabinet." The Bosnian Gay and Lesbian community, led by the NGO Q Association, immediately condemned the statement as hate speech. Gays and lesbians who were open about their orientation faced frequent harassment and discrimination, including termination from employment. In some cases, dismissal letters explicitly stated that sexual orientation was the cause of termination, making it extremely difficult for them to find another job.
(PDF - 113 Kb) Document Date: 1 Jan 2008 (Downloads: 472)
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| 3609. |
Brazil-US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices -2007 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor- 3/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination<br><br> State and federal laws prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, and the federal and state governments generally enforced these laws. According to the NGO Bahian Gay Group, 83 male homosexuals, 30 transvestites, and three lesbians were killed during the year, for a total of 116 killings, compared with 88 in 2006. The Northeast was the most violent area against homosexuals, with 60 percent of the cases reported. The most violent states were Pernambuco with 16 homicides, Bahia with 13, and Rio Grande do Norte with eight. During the year the group Rio without Homophobia, in partnership with other NGOs and the Rio de Janeiro state government, developed a program that included professional counseling services, medical assistance, rights defense, and a witness protection program.
(PDF - 112 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 476)
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| 3610. |
Bulgaria-US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices -2007 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor-3/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination<br><br> The law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, but the government did not effectively enforce this prohibition. Reports of violence against minorities were rare, but societal discrimination, particularly discrimination in employment, although less common than in earlier years, was a problem. Although in 2006 the gay rights organization Gemini won three cases it filed with the Commission for Protection against Discrimination, individuals continued to be reluctant to pursue legal remedies for discrimination due to the stigma o being openly identified as gay.
(PDF - 127 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 462)
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| 3611. |
Burma-US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices -2007 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor - 3/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination<br><br>
Many citizens viewed homosexuals with scorn. Penal code provisions against "sexually abnormal" behavior were applied to charge gays and lesbians who drew unfavorable attention to themselves. Nonetheless, homosexuals had a certain degree of protection through societal traditions.
(PDF - 109 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 411)
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| 3612. |
Central African Republic-US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2007-Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor-03/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination<br><br>
The penal code criminalizes homosexual behavior; however, there were no reports that police arrested or detained persons they believed to be homosexual. Societal discrimination against homosexuals persisted during the year, and many citizens denied the existence of homosexuals or attributed their existence to undue Western influence.
(PDF - 109 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 343)
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| 3613. |
Chad-Country Reports on Human Rights Practices -2007-Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor-03/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination<br><br>
Societal discrimination continued to be practiced against homosexuals and those afflicted with HIV/AIDS.
(PDF - 108 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 330)
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| 3614. |
Eritrea: US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2007-Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor 03/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
widespread societal discrimination based on sexual orientation, and reports of discrimination against those with HIV/AIDS.
(PDF - 110 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 377)
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| 3615. |
Ethiopia: US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2007-Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor 03/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination<br><br>
Homosexuality is illegal and punishable by imprisonment. Instances of homosexual activity determined to be cruel, involving coercion, or involving a minor (age 13 to 16) are punishable by not less than three months or more than five years in prison. Where children under 13 years of age are involved, the law provides for imprisonment of five to 25 years. While society did not widely accept homosexuality, there were no reports of violence against homosexuals.<br><br>
Societal discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS continued during the year.
(PDF - 111 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 455)
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| 3616. |
Mexico: Guadalajara wants to relocate gay bars- Rex Wockner Internationa lNews # 726- 03/24/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
The Mexican city of Guadalajara is threatening to move gay clubs out of
the city center in advance of the 2011 Pan American Games that will take
place in the city, according to Carlos Oceguera, who owns two such
clubs.<br><br>
A February story in the daily newspaper La Jornada Jalisco made the same
claim, with the headline "Guadalajara mayor's office attack against gay
clubs; it doesn't want them in the Historic Downtown."
(PDF - 19 Kb) Document Date: 24 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 353)
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| 3617. |
Anti-gay bias evicts dying AIDS patients in Nepal- in.news.yahoo.com by Sudeshna Sarkar 03/21/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Kathmandu, March 21 (IANS) Twelve men diagnosed with AIDS, four of whom are terminally ill and unable to walk, were thrown out and the AIDS hospice and care centre run for them shut down in Nepal due to the prevailing anti-gay bias, without any human rights group intervening on their behalf.<br><br>
Just as Nepal's sexual minorities were celebrating the community's first participation in a national election as contestants, the AIDS hospice run in Kathmandu for homosexuals by Nepal's pioneer gay rights organization was closed down Thursday night by the landlord after pressure from the neighbors.
(PDF - 76 Kb) Document Date: 21 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 362)
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Burundi- US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2007 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor 03/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Other Societal Abuses and Discrimination<br><br>
The constitution specifically outlaws any discrimination against those with HIV/AIDS or other incurable illnesses. There were no reports of government-sponsored discrimination against such individuals, although some observers suggested that the government was not actively involved in preventing societal discrimination.
(PDF - 36 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 427)
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| 3619. |
Cameroon: US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2007 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor 03/11/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Homosexual activity is illegal, with a possible prison sentence of six months to five years and a possible fine ranging from approximately $40 to $400 (20,000 to 200,000 CFA francs). While prosecution under this law was rare, homosexuals suffered from harassment and extortion by law enforcement officials. In addition, false allegations of homosexuality were used to harass enemies or to extort money.
(PDF - 38 Kb) Document Date: 11 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 347)
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Homosexuality in Rwanda? Yes, it lives-BY STEPHEN RWEMBEHO AND EUGENE MUTARA www.newtimes.co.rw 03/21/08 (Sexual Minorities & HIV Status)
Rwanda has not spoken much about homosexuality, but certainly it is against the practice. If homosexuality is not African then it cannot certainly be Rwandan! It is against this background that a mini survey was done to know if there are gays in Rwanda or not. The survey out that homosexuality really existed in Rwanda.
(PDF - 278 Kb) Document Date: 21 Mar 2008 (Downloads: 432)
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