Tunesische Regierung gegen LGBT Gruppe

Um eine der wenigen (noch) legal in der arabischen Welt operierenden LGBT-Gruppen mundtot zu machen, scheut die tunesische Regierung nicht einmal davor zurück, auf irgendwelche Scharia Bestimmungen zurückzugreifen. Es ist diesselbe Regierung, die vergangenes Jahr stolz die letzten Reste Scharia-Rechts aus Gesetzeswerken streichen ließ.

Der Knall, den sie in der islamischen und arabischen Welt mit Homosexualität haben, könnte größer kaum sein. Nun wäre umfassende Solidarität mit den mutigen Leuten von Shams gefragt, der Forderungen, entsprechenden Druck auf die tunesische Regierung auszuüben, einschlösse. Erwartbar wird da allerdings nicht viel passieren.

One of the Arab world’s most visible advocacy groups defending the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people is facing closure following legal threats by the government.

Association Shams has been officially operating in Tunisia since 2015, helping the country’s LGBT community repeal article 230 of its penal code, a French colonial law, which criminalises homosexuality with up to three years in jail.

The government failed to permanently suspend Shams’ activities in a 2016 lawsuit, but is appealing the ruling. A hearing is scheduled for Friday.

Shams’ president, Mounir Baatour, said the appeal represents the Tunisian government’s seventh attempt to close the organisation, but it is more serious because it has been based on Islamic sharia law.

“The judicial harassment against our association has no legal basis, and reflects the homophobia of the Tunisian state and its will to discriminate and stigmatise the LGBT community, which is already marginalised,” Baatour told the Guardian. “Such harassment makes our work difficult and creates a climate of tension and fear among the team working for our association.” (...)

Although the LGBT activism scene marks “a notable post-revolution achievement”, said Khouili, “we have seen no decrease in article 230 arrests and prosecutions, and there is little indication that parliament is willing to abrogate article 230 in the near future. As of now, article 230 continues to be widely implemented.”