Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Verdict Grants Partial Victory to LGBTI Activist An Important Step Forward for LGBTI Rights in Hong Kong In response to the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal’s recent verdict granting a partial victory to LGBTI activist Jimmy Sham, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East, […]
Category: Free Speech
Lebanon’s Growing Threat to LGBTI Rights: An Assault on Freedom and Equality
Lebanon: Attack on Freedoms Targets LGBTI People Repressive Legislation; Unlawful Crackdown In a devastating blow to human rights, Lebanese authorities are engaging in a systematic campaign against the basic freedoms of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals, according to a coalition of fifteen Lebanese and international organizations known […]
Investigating the Challenges Faced by LGBTQ+ Individuals in Nigeria
Police Arrest Dozens for Alleged Gay Wedding: A Violation of Human Rights An Unjust Act On Tuesday, police in Nigeria’s southern Delta State arrested several dozen individuals accused of participating in a gay wedding, an act that is prohibited under Nigeria’s Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act. The police shamelessly paraded […]
Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act: Urgent Call to Drop Death Penalty Charges
Uganda Urged to Drop Charges Against LGBTQ+ Individual Facing Death Penalty Background Uganda‘s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is facing international scrutiny after charging a 20-year-old man with “aggravated homosexuality” under the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act. The act, which was signed into law in May 2023, defines “aggravated […]
Lebanon Under Attack: Unmasking the Violence at a Drag Event
Violent Assault on Drag Event in Lebanon Reflects Increasing Hostility towards LGBT Community An Act of Hate A shocking act of violence occurred in Lebanon on August 23, when a group of men attacked a bar where a drag event was taking place. The assailants, who identified themselves as the […]
Another Blow to Human Rights in Lebanon: Attack on LGBTI Bar Raises Concerns
Violent Attack on LGBTI-friendly Bar in Beirut Raises Alarms Background In a disturbing incident that took place yesterday, a far-right Christian group known as Jnoud El-Rab launched a violent attack on Madame Om, a popular LGBTI-friendly bar in Beirut. This incident marks a troubling escalation in the ongoing attacks against […]
Why Iraq Must Abandon the Discriminatory Anti-LGBT Bill
Iraq: Scrap Anti-LGBT Bill Death Penalty for Same-Sex Conduct; Imprisonment for Transgender Expression Introduction The Iraqi government is currently considering a proposed law that would impose the death penalty for same-sex conduct and imprisonment for transgender expression. Human Rights Watch has called for the immediate withdrawal of the bill, stating […]
The Implications of Jordan’s Cybercrime Law on the LGBT Community
Jordan‘s New Cybercrime Law is a Disaster for LGBT People Vague Provisions Threaten Free Expression Around Gender and Sexuality The recent approval of Jordan‘s draconian cybercrime law has raised concerns among human rights activists, particularly those advocating for the rights of the LGBT community. The law, which was rushed through […]
Iraq’s Media Ban on “Homosexuality” and “Gender” Must Be Reversed Immediately
The Dire Consequences of Iraq‘s Media Ban on Homosexuality An Attack on Freedom of Expression and Human Rights Amnesty International has recently condemned the directive issued by the Iraqi Communications and Media Commission (CMC) which mandates that media outlets replace the term “homosexuality” with “sexual deviance” in their published and […]
The Struggle for LGBT Rights in Lebanon: Confronting Damaging Anti-LGBT Rhetoric
Anti-LGBT Rhetoric Undermines Rights in Lebanon Introduction The recent anti-gay remarks made by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon have sparked panic and terror among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Nasrallah described same-sex relations as a “sexual perversion” and warned that gay people’s existence is a “threat […]