Iranian Homo Horrors

More horrific details of the recent gay birthday raid in Isfahan, Iran. The majority of the 80 people detained by police have been released, although at least five partygoers remina in custody. Of those who were either let go or paid the $250,000 bail, many came out bruised and battered. No surprise considering eyewitness accounts of the arrests and detention.

Doug Ireland passes on word from Arsham Parsi – exiled head of the Iranian Queer Organization – that police treated the “prisoners” with the utmost severity. One detainee told Parsi:

The police beat us so hard that one of us threw himself out of the third-floor window and broke his legs; he is now in hospital. When we were arrested, we were forced to sleep on the floor, and the police were walking on us. We don’t have any voice here and you are our voice, please tell the world about our horrible situation in Iran, it is our daily life.

Those arrested face charges of homosexuality and consumption of alcohol, the latter carries a sentence of 100 lashes. The former can lead to execution – which may be what the birthday boy has in store for him, according to Parsi.

Parsi also says that the police brought video cameras and four mullahs to the raid, thus ensuring damning evidence for the forthcoming trials. Maybe we can all rally to stop things before it’s too late…