U.S. opposes UN resolution against death penalty for same-sex relations

The U.S. on Sept. 29 voted against a U.N. Human Rights Council resolution that condemns the death penalty for those found guilty of committing consensual same-sex sexual acts.

The resolution — which Belgium, Benin, Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia and Switzerland introduced — passed by a 27-13 vote margin.

Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Slovenia, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, Panama, Paraguay, Venezuela, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and the U.K. supported the resolution. Botswana, Burundi, Egypt, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, China, India, Iraq, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates joined the U.S. in opposing it.

Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea and Cuba abstained.

The resolution specifically condemns “the imposition of the death penalty as a sanction for specific forms of conduct, such as apostasy, blasphemy, adultery and consensual same-sex relations” and expresses “serious concern that the application of the death penalty for adultery is disproportionately imposed on women.” It also notes “poor and economically vulnerable persons and foreign nationals are disproportionately subjected to the death penalty, that laws carrying the death penalty are used against persons exercising their rights to freedom of expression, thought, conscience, religion, and peaceful assembly and association, and that persons belonging to religious or ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented among those sentenced to the death penalty.”

ILGA in a press release noted Egypt, Russia and Saudi Arabia sought to amend the resolution and “dilute its impact.” These amendments failed, even though the U.S. supported two of them from Russia that stated the death penalty “does not per se mean a (human rights) violation, but may lead to . . . (human rights) violations” and “in some cases the (death penalty) leads to torture, rather than that many states hold that the (death penalty) is a form of torture.”

The U.S. also backed a proposed amendment from Egypt that stated “a moratorium (on the death penalty) should be a decision after domestic debate.” The U.S. abstained from voting on a proposed amendment from Saudi Arabia that said countries have the right to “develop their own laws and penalties (in accordance with international law.)”

Iran, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania and Sudan are among the handful of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual activity remains punishable by death. The so-called Islamic State has executed dozens of men in Iraq, Syria and Libya who were accused of committing sodomy.

“It is unconscionable to think that there are hundreds of millions of people living in states where somebody may be executed simply because of whom they love” said ILGA Executive Director Renato Sabbadini in a press release, referring to the resolution. “This is a monumental moment where the international community has publicly highlighted that these horrific laws simply must end.”

The vote took place nine days after Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Costa Rican Vice President Ana Helena Chacón and other world leaders attended a U.N. LGBT Core Group event that coincided with the opening of the U.N. General Assembly.

Kelly Currie, the U.S. representative to the U.N. Economic and Social Council, attended the event but did not speak. Former Vice President Biden is among those who spoke at last year’s U.N. LGBT Core Group event.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley in April said the U.S. remains “disturbed” by the ongoing crackdown against gay men and lesbians in Chechnya. Caitlyn Jenner in July met with Haley at her office in New York.

President Trump traveled to Saudi Arabia in May. He made no mention that consensual same-sex sexual relations remain punishable by death in the kingdom in a speech he gave in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

Trump has also not publicly commented on the ongoing crackdown against LGBT Chechens.

The U.S. and 24 other countries in 2014 voted for a resolution against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender the U.N. Human Rights Council adopted. The body in 2011 narrowly approved a resolution in support of LGBT rights that South Africa introduced.

Source: losangelesblade.com, Michael K. Lavers, October 3, 2017. Michael K. Lavers is the international news editor of the Washington Blade.

These 13 countries voted against UN ban of death penalty for being gay

You might be surprised by some of the Western countries who voted against

The United Nations Human Rights Council has voted to condemn countries who use the death penalty on gay people.

Although the resolution passed with 27 countries voting for the measure - 13 countries including the United States voted against.

Being gay is still punishable by death in 6 countries including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen.

Similarly, gay people are also being killed in so-called ISIS-held territories in Northern Iraq and Northern Syria.

Although not countrywide, there are also parts of Nigeria and Somalia where the death penalty is in use against LGBTI people too.

However, this resolution doesn't call for an end to death as punishment. It asks countries who have the death penalty to ensure they do not use it in a 'discriminatory manner.'

It calls for an end to using the death penalty for anyone:

with intellectual disabilities
below 18 years of age at the time of the crime
pregnant women
for apostasy
blasphemy
adultery
consensual same-sex relations

Responding to the vote, Renato Sabbadini, Executive Director of The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) says:

'It is unconscionable to think that there are hundreds of millions of people living in States where somebody may be executed simply because of whom they love.

'This is a monumental moment where the international community has publicly highlighted that these horrific laws simply must end.'

Who voted against the resolution?

This is not the 1st time the UN has made this kind of statement.

More than a decade ago, the now-disbanded UN Human Rights Commission passed a similar resolution. The United Nations General Assembly in New York also passes a resolution on 'extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions' every 2 years.

However, this resolution is the 1st by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

There were 6 attempts by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Russia to change and dilute the resolution. Despite this, they all failed to allow the measure to pass.

These are the 13 countries that voted against the resolution:

Bangladesh

Botswana

Burundi

China

Egypt

Ethiopia

India

Iraq

Japan

Qatar

Saudia Arabia

The United Arab Emirates

United States

However, despite submitting several changes, Russia is not able to vote.

An extensive campaign by human rights groups opposing Russian membership was successful in 2016 when they were denied a place on the council in 2016. The groups took issue with the countries bombing of Syrian cities.

André du Plessis, Head of UN Programme and Advocacy at ILGA says:

'We are grateful for the leadership of the 8 countries that brought this resolution - Belgium, Benin, Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, and Switzerland.'

Above all adding, 'they stood firm on principle through a difficult negotiation and voting period.'

Source: Gay Star News, October 4, 2017

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