International protests over Iran killings

Protests were held in 23 cities across the globe last Wednesday to mark the persecution of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people in Iran.

Amsterdam, Berlin, London, New York, San Francisco, Stockholm, Toronto and Vienna were among the cities where demonstrations were held to show solidarity with Iran’s GLBT community.

The protests marked the first anniversary of the hanging of two gay lovers in in Iran in July last year.

Teenagers Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni were executed on July 19 2005 in the Iranian city of Mashhad.

Originally it was claimed that the two youths had committed one rape and were child molesters. By late 2005 it was claimed that they were serial child killers.

“A year-long investigation into this case has revealed that the regime’s allegations against the two hanged youths are riddled with contradictions, implausibilities and outright lies,” said Peter Tatchell of UK activist group OutRage!.

“Local sources in Mashhad state that Mahmoud and Ayaz were lovers, not rapists or child abusers. Witnesses report seeing them together and obviously in love at a private party in 2003. They were charged with the capital crime of homosexuality after a disapproving family member reported their relationship to the police,” Mr Tatchell said.

In a statement released to the media last week, Outrage! claim that the pair’s execution conforms to a pattern of state torture and murder of LGBT people by the Iranian clerical regime.

This claim is supported by the Persian Gay and Lesbian Organisation (PGLO).

“We feel great pain when we see human rights advocates ignoring the evidence and failing to speak out against the torture and execution of gay people in our country,” said Arsham Parsi, a PGLO spokesperson.

“We know first-hand, from the violent abuse of our members and supporters, that the jailing, flogging and hanging of gay people is official state law and policy,” said Mr Parsi.