Amnesty Calls For Amnesty For “Gay” Moroccans
Morocco’s dispensing some queer justice. Authorities arrested six allegedly gay men last month and tried them for “lewd or unnatural acts.” Following a brief and flawed trial, the men have been found guilty. Now Amnesty International’s UK-branch is asking its allies to rally for their freedom:
Amnesty International UK is calling on its 2.2 million members worldwide to write to the Moroccan authorities demanding the release of six men who are facing jail because of their presumed sexuality.
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“The fact that the six men were convicted purely on rumour shows how prevalent homophobia is in Morocco,†said Tim Hancock, campaigns director at Amnesty International UK.
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“Amnesty has called for their sentences to be overturned and is calling on its members across the world to email or fax the Moroccan embassy demanding their immediate release.â€
Click here for a complete list of Morocco’s international embassies.
The GLBT struggle for equality is nothing if not international. Wherever we live we have more in common with each other than with our fellow citizens.
Right now the Middle East is the epicenter of criminal violence against GLBT folk. There muslim state sponsored violence is encouraged by the Bush Administration and its bipartisan supporters in Congress, by Ratzinger Der Pope, Pat Robertson and by ultraright zionists. What they all have in common is a program aimed at smothering our movement with intimidation and violence.
Thanks for this post and the opportunity to help the brothers in Morocco.