Two Iranian LGBT women-activists sentenced to death in Iran
Zahra Hamadani and Elham Chubdar– two Iranian LGBT women-activists– have been sentenced to death by their country for their efforts to support the LGBT community.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) had charged the two of “promoting homosexuality, gambling, fraud, and promoting illicit sexual relations and publishing them on the Internet.”
Iranian LGBT women-activists sentenced to death
The Norway-registered human rights network, Hengaw, reported that the Urmia Revolutionary Court had ruled the two guilty of charges of “corruption on Earth” and “promoting Christianity.”
They also said the two were guilty of “communicating with the media opposing the Islamic Republic.”
The judiciary of Iran later confirmed the sentences, saying the two were connected to human trafficking and not activism.
The judiciary’s news outlet Mizan said the two have “have been accused of deceiving women and young girls and trafficking them to one of the countries of the region.”
Last March, their Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had described homosexuality as part of a “moral deprivation” widespread in Western civilization.
A dangerous country for Iranian LGBT women-activists
In Iran, gays and lesbians have to hide their sexual orientation as homosexuality is punishable by death, with punishments ranging from flogging to the death penalty.
British LGBT rights activist Peter Tatchell told the Jerusalem Post the “corruption on Earth” charge was “used against critics of the regime and those who express opinions that are not compliant with Islamic orthodoxy.”
Previously, the 31-year old Hamadani had been arbitrarily detained last October 2021 for defending LGBT rights on social media. She was arrested a month later for trying to leave the country.
Hamadani was described as a “gender non-conforming human rights defender” by Amnesty International.
Hengaw did not provide any details about 24-year old Choubdar except that she was from Urmia.
Sentencing a woman for her sexual orientation a first
Spokeswoman Shadi Amin of the Germany-based Iranian Lesbian and Transgender Network (6-Rang) told AFP news agency that “This is the first time that a woman has been sentenced to death in Iran for her sexual orientation.”
In a 2020 poll by 6rang, 62 percent of LGBT respondents said they had experienced one or more forms of violence by their immediate family.
Likewise, some 77 percent said they had been subjected to physical violence of some sort due to their sexual orientation.
The European Union has condemned the death sentences imposed on the two activists.
“The EU is– as a principle– fundamentally opposed to the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances, and aims at its universal abolition,” said Peter Stano, spokesperson for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.