Press Release

20 September 2005

International

Iran sanctions state violence against gay people
Gay Amir, aged 22, given 100 lashes


Iran 2005 - Gay Amir given 100 lashes


By OutRage! News Service

The bruised and bloodied body of a 22 year old gay Iranian, Amir, bears witness to the brutality of the Ayatollah's regime.
Amir escaped Iran after the authorities threatened him with execution for being gay – but not before he was subjected to the barbarism of 100 lashes, which left his back covered in huge bloody welts.
A copy of Amir’s story, together with photos of his savage injuries, has been sent to the British LGBT human rights group OutRage! by Iranian LGBT activists (see below).

View the photos of Amir:
 http://www.outrage.org.uk/imagezoom.asp?file=Iranian_gay_flogging1
 http://www.outrage.org.uk/imagezoom.asp?file=Iranian_gay_flogging2
 http://www.outrage.org.uk/imagezoom.asp?file=Iranian_gay_flogging3
 http://www.outrage.org.uk/imagezoom.asp?file=Iranian_gay_flogging4
 http://www.outrage.org.uk/imagezoom.asp?file=Iranian_gay_flogging5
 http://www.outrage.org.uk/imagezoom.asp?file=Iranian_gay_flogging6
"This is a further example of the violent homophobia of the Iran’s Islamic fundamentalist regime," said Brett Lock of OutRage!
OutRage! is appalled that large sections of liberal and left opinion in the West shows little concern regarding the murderous brutality of the clerical fascist regime in Tehran.
"We deplore the gullibility of many gay, left and human rights groups concerning the abuse of LGBT human rights in Iran.
"Too many are willing to believe the smears and slurs of the Iranian government and state-approved newspapers like Qods.
"When two young men were executed for same-sex acts in the Iranian city of Mashad in July, some left and human rights organisations accepted at face value claims by the state-controlled media that the youths were hanged for rape.
"Similar gullibility has been shown by some left-wingers. They have long swallowed Iran's homophobic propaganda.
"Believing the stories in Iran’s state-sanctioned media is like accepting the news as reported by the press in Franco’s Spain or Pinochet’s Chile.
"Where are the left-wing campaigns in western countries to support the freedom struggles of Iranian LGBTs, women, democrats, socialists and workers?


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Copy of a news release received by OutRage! from the Persian Gays & Lesbians Organisation
Iranian homosexuals live in fear
The police savagely tortured Amir, aged 22

Amir, a young Iranian homosexual, recently spoke out about the torture he has suffered at the hands of the Iranian authorities.
His father was a martyr in the war between Iran and Iraq.
Amir is gay and due to his sexual orientation he experienced a lot of homophobia during his university studies.
From the time he got to know other homosexuals, his difficulties increased.
He was arrested at a party and was convicted and had to pay a fine.
On several more occasions he was arrested and put in custody by police, the basij (fundamentalist militia) and the revolutionary guard.
Because he was the son of a martyr, they tortured him more. They believed Amir had dishonoured the martyrs blood.
He had, of course, done nothing but followed his own orientation.
The police and basij (fundamentalist militia group) have infiltrated gay sites on the internet. This has made homophobic persecution worse.
One of the undercover men got to know Amir in a chat room and fixed a date with him. He then arrested Amir and took him into custody. Detained for more than a week after being arrested, he was convicted and sentenced to 100 lashes, which was carried out in the jail.
After being released, Amir was put under surveillance and further interrogated by police officers and revolutionary guards. He was threatened with death.
Following the execution of the two youths in Mashhad for Lavat (same sex act) the police called Amir back to the station and threatened that if they caught him once more he would face the same fate as these youths.
Due to fear and pressures, Amir has not spoken out about the injustice he suffered. But now he has escaped from Iran, he is willing to tell about his victimisation.
There are some photos showing the wounds caused by the lashings he received.
 http://www.pglo.org/pglo-web/persian/pdf%20archive/Amir-p1.pdf
The Persian Gay and Lesbian Organisation condemns the torture and execution of gay people in Iran and asks for International action.
Iranian homosexuals are usually subjected to extreme oppression and sometimes they are killed. Only small fraction of this violent homophobia comes to light. The largest part is hidden behind a curtain of fear. Many persecutions get mixed up with false accusations of crimes like rape, so that the real reasons are disguised.
The Persian Gays and Lesbians Organisation asks all human rights activists and GLBT defenders to protest against homophobic attitudes and crimes in Iran. Let’s work together to prevent such oppression and injustice.

Signed: PGLO
(Persian Gays & Lesbians Organisation)
Relevant Links:
The Persian Gay and Lesbian Organisation:  http://www.pglo.org

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