Iran, Middle East

By Arsham Parsi Executive Director Iranian Railroad for Queer Refugees (IRQR) www.irq.net Iranian queers have well-founded fears of persecution based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Penal Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran, permits the punishment of queer people by lashing, hanging, stoning, cutting in half by a sword, or dropping from a tall building or cliff. My own and IRQR’s experiences in researching human rights violations in Iran suggests that in “morals” cases, substantial evidence is likely to be flouted by the judiciary in the name of protecting cultural and religious standards. In Iran, four male witnesses who attest that a defendant is homosexual, even on the basis of rumor or slander, will have their testimony accepted instead of being more rigorously cross-examined. Iranian legal and judicial procedures ensure that a judge’s prejudice against a defendant, even based solely on a defendant’s appearance or demeanor, is

This is a brief no-nonsense introduction to homosexuality in Iran. Following this are three stories about being gay and Iranian. Also see: Islam and Homosexuality Gay Iran News & Reports 1997 to present Gay Iran Photo Gallery November 2003 Updated February 2006 The Embassy of Iran in The Hague wrote in 1987 that "homosexuality in Iran, treated according to the Islamic law, is a sin in the eyes of God and a crime for society. In Islam generally homosexuality is among the worst possible sins you can imagine" (PB). Under Iran’s 1991 Islamic penal law the position is as follows: (A) Male homosexuality Sodomy is a crime, for which both partners are punished. The punishment is death if the participants are adults, of sound mind and consenting; the method of execution is for the Shari’a judge to decide. A non-adult who engages in consensual sodomy is subject to a punishment

This gallery displays the photography of Mehdi, a native Iranian who has traveled throughout his country taking scenic and human images of natural beauty. Read story about gay Iran