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Action Alerts

International Lesbian and Gay Association

EMERGENCY RESPONSE NETWORK
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)

@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ACTION ALERT @@@@@@@@@@@@@

BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA:

NEW VIOLENCE AGAINST TRANSGENDER PEOPLE

RIGHT TO LIFE
RIGHT TO FREEDOM FROM ARBITRARY DETENTION
RIGHT TO FREEDOM FROM TORTURE OR CRUEL OR INHUMAN TREATMENT
RIGHT TO RESPECT FOR PRIVATE LIFE
RIGHT TO EFFECTIVE REMEDY
RIGHT TO EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW

@@@@@@@@@@@@@ SUMMARY @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

On Thursday, January 11, Michelle Paz (legal name: Janny Paz), a transgender woman, was found shot dead in Urbanizacion Santa Cecilia, near Valencia, capital of Carabobo state, in Venezuela.

Respeto a la Personalidad, a Venezuelan transgender organization, considers that police involvement in the murder is highly possible. Police were accused of involvement in the murder of Dayana Nieves, a transgender woman shot in July 2000 in circumstances suggesting an extrajudicial execution.

A uniformed policemen shot at another transgender woman, Paola Sanchez, on January 13. She managed to escape; later, however, later police officers broke into her house without a search warrant and arrested her. No charges were pressed, and she has since been released. But Vicky Martinez and Kevin Capote, two transgender activists who were arrested on January 16, are still being held at La Isabelica, a local prison, in incommunicado detention. No information about charges against them has been forthcoming.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ACTION @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

IGLHRC and Respeto a la Personalidad ask for URGENT letters to Venezuelan authorities demanding the immediate release of Vicky Martinez and Kevin Capote, and a full and objective investigation of Michelle Paz's murder and the incident involving Paola Sanchez, with due punishment for persons found responsible, and effective protection for transgender people living in Carabobo.

Please write to:

Econ. Henrique Fernando Salas Feo-Römer
Gobernador del Estado de Carabobo
Palacio de Gobierno
Calle Montes de Oca con calle Paez
Valencia
Estado Carabobo,
República Bolivariana de Venezuela
Fax: + 58 241 857 0783
Salutation: Dear Governor / Estimado Sr. Gobernador

Comandante General Jesús Ramírez
Commander of the Police Forces in Carabobo
Comisario General de la PTJ
Avenida Navas Espinolas entre Paseo Cabriales y Martin Tovar
Valencia
Estado de Carabobo,
República Bolivariana de Venezuela
Fax: + 58 241 859 5940 (If voice answers, say: "Por favor,
tono de fax")
Salutation: Dear Commander General / Estimado Comandante
General

Minister of the Interior and Justice
Sr. Luis Miquelena
Ministro del Interior y Justicia
Ministerio del Interior y Justicia
Avenida Urdaneta, esquina de Platanal
Parroquia Candelaria, municipio Libertador
Caracas,
República Bolivariana de Venezuela
Fax: + 58-212- 861 1967
Salutation: Dear Minister / Estimado Sr. Ministro

Ombudsman's Office of Venezuela
Dr.Germán Mundaraín
Plaza Morelos
Avenida México s/n
Caracas
República Bolivariana de Venezuela
Fax: 58(212) 575.44.67 or 575.38.62
E-mail: defensoria@platino.gov.ve
Salutation: Dear Doctor /Estimado Doctor

And please send copies to:

Maury Oviedo
Respeto a la Personalidad
respeto_a_la_personalidad@hotmail.com

Israel Alvarez de Armas
Oficina del Defensor de los Derechos Humanos - Carabobo
defensor_ddhh@hotmail.com

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ SAMPLE LETTER @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Dear Sir:

I/we write to express our concern over attacks against transgender and transsexual people in Valencia, Carabobo.

On July 2000, Dayana Nieves was murdered, allegedly with the involvement of police officers: the crime still remains unpunished. On January 11, 2002, another transgender woman named Michelle Paz was found dead, in Urbanizacion Santa Cecilia. In the week following that incident, on January 13, Paola Sanchez was shot by a uniformed police officer in Avenida Bolivar. A few hours later, policemen broke into Ms. Sanchez' house without a warrant, grabbed her by the hair and arrested her, without charges being pressed. She was ultimately freed: but two other transgender people, Vicky Martinez and Kevin Capote -who were arrested on January 16, and beaten during their arrest- are currently at La Isabelica Prison, in incommunicado detention.

Impunity surrounding crimes against transgender people, as well as their arbitrary arrest, harassment and mistreatment by police, constitutes a human rights violation. The Venezuelan Constitution (Article 19) accords with with international human rights instruments (such as the Interamerican Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Venezuela and integrated by the Constitution into national law) protect "every person Š without discrimination whatsoever" against attacks on their life, freedom, and privacy. As governor of Carabobo state, it is your responsibility to enforce those protections. As you well know, Article 29 of the Venezuelan Constitution mandates the State to investigate and punish crimes committed by public officers.

We urge you to:

- Conduct an immediate, sweeping, and fair investigation into the murders of Dayana Nieves and Michelle Paz, and punish those found guilty, as mandated by law.

- Conduct an immediate, sweeping, and fair investigation into allegations of police abuse against transgender people --such as the attempt against Paola Sanchez' life and the physical injuries suffered by Kevin Capote during her arrest-- and punish those found guilty, as mandated by law.

- Bring an immediate halt to arbitrary arrests of transgender people in Carabobo, and order the immediate release of Vicky Martinez and Kevin Capote.

- Conduct an immediate, sweeping, and fair investigation into allegations of extortion by police officers against transgender people, who claim to be demanded sexual favors and/or money to avoid arrest. Punish those officers found guilty, as mandated by law.

Police must serve citizens, not threaten or abuse them. The Carabobo police should be trained on both human rights and human diversity, in order properly to serve the community. We urge you to invite local organizations such as Respeto a la Personalidad to assist with training Carabobo police on these issues, to and transform the police into an institution furthering rather than impeding the aims of a democratic society.

Sincerely,

@@@@@@@@@@ BACKGROUND @@@@@@@@@@@

Michelle Paz (legal name: Janny Paz) was a 21 years old transgender woman, born in Ciudad Ojeda, Zulia, Venezuela, and currently living in Valencia, capital of the state of Carabobo.

In the early hours of Thursday, January 11, her dead body was found in Urbanizacion Santa Cecilia, a northern neighborhood in Valencia. She had been shot four times. Her identification papers were missing.

No family member of Michelle Paz claimed her body, as is often the case with transgender and gay people. She was buried by the Ombudsman and local activists.

The local transgender organization Respeto a la Personalidad and the local Ombudsman, Mr. Israel Alvarez de Armas, have documented a pattern of police abuse against transgender people in Carabobo, including documented cases of harassment, arbitrary arrest, and physical abuse including possible murders. See these previous action alerts for background:

They Will Not Stop At Murder:
State Abuse Against Transgender People Continues
April 4, 2001
http://www.iglhrc.org/world/southamerica/Venezuela2001Apr.html

Possible Extrajudicial Execution, Fear For Safety
August 24, 2000
http://www.iglhrc.org/world/southamerica/Venezuela2000Aug.html

Activists have also claimed that transgender women are forced to have sex with policemen under threat of arrest.

On July 29, 2000, Dayana Nieves, an 18 year-old transgender women, was shot and killed by
two men, one of whom activists believe was a Carabobo police officer. Respeto a la Personalidad submitted a complaint concerning this murder to the Interamerican Human Rights Commission, and drew international attention to the crime. In reaction, local police arrested or harassed transgender activists. Estrella de los Angeles, Pocahontas Aquino, Nicole Mora and La Guajira Medina spent several days in police lockup, where they were subjected to verbal and psychological abuse, denied food and exposed to the cold at night--until other activists managed to get judicial orders for their liberation.

In the latest case, Michelle Paz was last seen between 3 and 4 a.m. on January 11, while doing sex work on Avenida Bolivar, one of the main streets of Valencia. She told a friend that she had already collected the U$S 80 that she needed to pay some debts.

She was shot three times in the back and one in the face. In Santa Cecilia, where her body was found, neighbors did not hear any shots. It appears likely that she had been killed elsewhere and then carried to Santa Cecilia, where few if any passersby circulate at night. Her earrings, watch, cellular phone and cash had not been stolen.

Michelle's case has been registered as Expediente G-062148 (January 11, 2002) with Comisaria Las Acacias , Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas, Penales and Criminalísticas- -the former Judicial Technical Police Force--and as Causa 76.148, Fiscalia Quinta, with the Attorney General's Office.

According to local activists, police officers did not seal off the area where the body was found, nor properly protect the victim's personal belongings, as mandated by Article 15, Decreto de Investigaciones Cientificas, Penales and Criminalisticas (the ordinance establishing procedures to be followed by police officers). As a result, Michelle's clothes disappeared, and evidence they might have revealed is now lost.

On Sunday, January 13, a uniformed police officer shot twice at Paola Sanchez, a trans woman, in Avenida Bolivar. Fortunately, Paola managed to escape unhurt. Paola lives in the same house in which her friend Dayana Nieves was murdered in July 2000. A few hours after the attack, police officers entered her house without a warrant, grabbed Paola by the hair and took her to La Isabelica, a local prison. She was released a few hours later, with no charges pressed against her.

On January 16, 2001, Vicky Martinez and Kevin Capote, two trans activists, were arrested and severely beaten by Carabobo police. Both were taken also to La Isabelica where they remain in incommunicado detention.

Activists in Carabobo and in Caracas are planning to denounce Henrique Salas Romer--the governor of Carabobo, who has refused to take action to stop harassment against the transgender community-- before the National Assembly. Article 350 of the Venezuelan Constitution allows civic organizations to petition the Assembly to revoke the mandate of elected officers who fail to fulfil their duty.

@@@@@@@@@@@ IN LAW @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

The 1999 Venezuelan Constitution guarantees the enjoyment and exercise of all human rights to "every person Š without discrimination whatsoever" (Article 19). It also affirms the "right to free development of one's personality, without other limitations than those derived from the rights of others and social as well as public order," a protection cited by local transgender organizations.

Article 21 states that "all persons are equal before the law" and forbids discrimination based on race,sex, belief, or social condition. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Interamerican Convention on Human Rights (IACHR) contain clear protections against discrimination.

The right to life is protected by the UDHR (Article 3), the ICCPR (Article 6), the IACHR (Article 4) and the Venezuelan Constitution (Article 43)

The right to freedom from torture or cruel and inhuman treatment ("ninguna persona puede ser sometida a penas, torturas o tratos crueles, inhumanos o degradantes") is protected by the UDHR (Article 5), the ICCPR (Article 7), the IACHR (Article 5) and the Venezuelan Constitution (Article 46.1)

The right to equality before the law is protected by the UDHR (Article 7), the ICCPR (Article 14) and the IAHR (Article 24)

The right to effective remedy for acts violating fundamental rights is protected by the UDHR (Article 8) and the IACHR (Article 25). The ICCPR affirms the right to "compensation for victims of unlawful arrest or detention" (Article 9.5).

The right to freedom from arbitrary interference with one's home is protected by the UDHR (Article 12), ICCPR (Article 17), IACHR (Article 11), and the Venezuelan Constitution (Article 47)

The right to freedom from arbitrary arrest is protected by the ICCPR (Article 9), the IAHRC (Article 7.3) and the Venezuelan Constitution (Article 44.1)

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@@@@@@@@ ABOUT IGLHRC @@@@@@@@

@@@ ABOUT US:

The mission of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) is to protect and advance the human rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.

IGLHRC
1360 Mission Street, Suite 200
San Francisco, CA 94103
USA
Telephone: +1-415-255-8680
Fax: +1-415-255-8662
Email: iglhrc@iglhrc.org
http://www.iglhrc.org

Egypt: The Hunt Against Homosexuals Continues
Additional Arrests Reported in Alexandria

For Immediate Release: January 20, 2002

For additional information, contact:
Sydney Levy, +1-415-255-8680 (office), +1-415-577-8680 (cell), sydney@iglhrc.org

SAN FRANCISCO - At least eight more men have been arrested in Egypt on suspicion of homosexual behavior, in what the press called a crackdown on a "network of perverts." The arrests, following on last year's trial of 52 men for homosexuality, suggest a steadily growing pattern of persecution. At the same time the trial of four men arrested for homosexuality on November 10, 2001 opened today in Cairo and was postponed until next week.

"Enough is enough! The government of Egypt must stop these arrests now," declared Scott Long, Program Director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. "Too many people are sitting in jail whose only crime is to be suspected of homosexuality. Homosexuality is not perverse, the behavior of the Egyptian government is."

The independent newspaper Al-Wafd reported on January 20 that eight men were arrested for the "practice of debauchery" in Damanhour, capital of the province of Al-Beheira, southwest of Alexandria.

Police confiscated "an address book containing the names and addresses of a large number of perverts," the newspaper said, raising fears of further arrests.

"With these arrests and the fear of more to come, the Egyptian authorities are terrorizing their own population," added Mr. Long.

The newspaper article was headlined, "Major Network of Perverts Arrested in Al-Beheira: Social Security employee used his home as a lair for the practice of debauchery." The report said that "A group of investigators stormed the apartment, and the eight defendants were caught in debauched positions during a party for group perversions. They were wearing nightgowns and makeup."

The civil servant who owned the apartment was arrested along with all others present. The prisoners reportedly included an upholsterer (52 years old), a shoe-shiner (52 years old), a factory employee (37 years old), a mechanic (32 years old), and a carter (19 years old).

All are being held for four days--presumably until January 23--"pending investigations." Damanhour prosecutor Yaseen Zaghloul ordered that the men be subjected to medical examinations of their genitals and anuses.

In related news, the trial of four men arrested for homosexuality on November 10, 2001, in the Boulak suburb of Cairo, opened today, but was postponed for a week because the jail had neglected to send the prisoners to court. The judge opened the proceedings by demanding of the bailiff, "Where are the khawalat [a demeaning term for transvestites or homosexuals]. Bring in the khawalat"--language indicating that the chance of a fair hearing in the case is slim.

Provisions in Egypt's Law 10 of 1961 on the Combat of Prostitution criminalizing the "habitual practice of debauchery" are widely used not only against sex workers but against consensual homosexual behavior. The arrest raids mentioned above, including the "Cairo 52," are based on this law. In addition two Egyptian university students were entrapped by undercover police agents and sent to hard labor under this law.

In the "Cairo 52" case the Emergency State Security Court in Cairo sentenced 23 presumed homosexuals to one to five years of hard labor on November 14. These sentences cannot be appealed. At the same time the Court acquitted 29 additional defendants. Despite international pleas the Egyptian government refuses to pardon the remaining 23 men.

All fifty-two were arrested on the night of the May 10, 2001 in a raid of the Queen Boat discotheque in Cairo or in random police pickups during the following days. The 52 were held for over six months without bail. Defense lawyers argued that proper arrest procedures were not followed, that the arrests were made at random, and that charges were fabricated after the arrest. There are enough irregularities in the arrests and handling of this case to suggest that the "Cairo 52" may have been framed. The State-controlled media engaged in a campaign of vilification against the 52, publishing their names, and creating an environment of scandal around them, branding them perverts, blasphemous, and traitors.

The Cairo 52 trials have been condemned by international human rights organizations, members of US Congress and the United Nations.

For background information on the Cairo 52 please see "Egyptian Justice on Trial: The Case of the Cairo 52" at http://www.iglhrc.org/world/africa/Egypt2001Oct.html, and "One to Five Years of Hard Labor for 23 Presumed Homosexuals" at http://www.iglhrc.org/news/press/pr_011114.html.

For background information on the November 10, 2001 arrests, see " More Arrests of Presumed Homosexuals in Egypt: Details Parallel Cairo 52 Case" at http://www.iglhrc.org/news/press/pr_011115.html.

For background information on the conviction of the 2 entrapped students, see " Act *Now* Against Internet Entrapment and Renewed Persecution: New Prison Terms Handed Down for Alleged Homosexual Behavior" at http://www.iglhrc.org/world/africa/Egypt2002Jan.html.

IGLHRC is a US-based non-profit, non-governmental organization that works to protect and advance the human rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.

###

International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
1360 Mission Street, Suite 200 o San Francisco, CA 94103 USA
T: 1.415.255.8680
F: 1.415.255.8662
E: iglhrc@iglhrc.org http://www.iglhrc.org

###

===================================================================
Sydney Levy -- Director of Communications
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)
1360 Mission St, Ste 200 * San Francisco, CA 94103 * USA

Work Phone: +1-415-255-8680 * Cell Phone: +1-415-577-8680 * Fax: +1-415-255-8662
sydney@iglhrc.org * http://www.iglhrc.org/

EMERGENCY RESPONSE NETWORK
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)

@@@@@@@@@@@@ ACTION ALERT UPDATE @@@@@@@@@@@@

REPUBLIC OF KOREA:

CENSORSHIP OF GAY AND LESBIAN INTERNET SITES TAKES EFFECT:
PROTEST BIGOTRY AND SILENCE

RIGHT TO FREEDOMS OF EXPRESSION AND ASSOCIATION
RIGHT TO FREEDOM FROM DISCRIMINATION

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ UPDATE @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

On November 1, 2001, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) formally enacted an internet content rating system classifying gay and lesbian websites as "harmful media" and mandating their blockage--all under the guise of protecting youth. The Ministry acted after an April 2001 decision by the Korean Information and Communications Ethics Committee (ICEC)--an officially independent body with wide censorship powers--which classified homosexuality under the category of "obscenity and perversion" in its "Criteria for Indecent Internet Sites." Activists in Korea trace the roots of this definition to a 1997 law that classifies descriptions of "homosexual love" as "harmful to youth." The MIC accepted this classification in July.

Enforcement of these measures has been swift. In November, the owner of Exzone.com, the first and largest gay website in Korea, received a notice stating that if it does not immediately mark itself as a 'harmful site' and install filtering software to prevent youth access, he would be penalized with a fine of approximately US$10,000 or two years' imprisonment.

Starting in late October, a coalition of human rights activists in Korea organized a 60-day hunger strike at the historic Myongdong Catholic Church to protest this censorship. Sixty individuals, including several lesbian and gay activists, engaged in successive, public one-day hunger strikes. Pictures and further information can be found at the following websites:
http://free.jinbo.net/english/index.html
http://news.jinbo.net/antirating/poong.html

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission joins the Lesbian and Gay Alliance Against Discrimination in Korea (LGAAD), a coalition of over twenty lesbian and gay rights organizations (as well as website masters), in renewing its urgent call for letters of protest to end this internet censorship, revise the repressive 1997 law, and protect freedom of expression in Korea.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ACTION @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Letters of protest from the international human rights community to the addresses listed below are urgently requested. A sample letter is provided below.

If you would like to write your own letter or modify the sample letter, please demand an end to this system of compulsory site blocking by the Korean government; a revision of measures in the Youth Protection Law of Korea that designate homosexuality a harmful influence to youth; and the adoption of provisions barring discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in Korea.

Please also express your opposition to any attempt to restrict Korean youth's access to information on sexual health and sexual orientation.

Write to:

President Kim Dae-Jung
President of the Republic of Korea
E-mail messages can be send from the following web address: http://www.cwd.go.kr/cgi-bin/php/engletter/writeform.php3

Dr. Seungtaik Yang
Minister of Information and Communications
Republic of Korea
100 Sejongno, Jongnogu
Seoul 110-777
Korea
E-mail: minister@mic.go.kr

Chairman
Information and Communications Ethics Committee
6th Floor, Donga Tower
1321-6 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu
Seoul 137-070
Korea
Fax: +82-2-3415-0199
E-mail: webmaster@icec.or.kr, chairman@icec.or.kr

Soung-Yee Kim
Chairman
Commission on Youth Protection
Republic of Korea
303 Central Government Complex
77-6 Sejongno, Jongnogu
Seoul 110-760
Korea
Fax: +82-2-735-6265
E-mail: dckim@youth.go.kr kimsyee@youth.go.kr

Please send copies of letters to:
Lesbian and Gay Alliance Against Discrimination in Korea (LGAAD)
5th Floor, 95 Beonji
Hongin-Dong, Chung-Gu
Seoul 100-450
Korea
Tel: +82-2-2235-7422
Email: husoyi@yahoo.com (LGAAD International Coalition Coordinator)

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ SAMPLE LETTER @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Dear Sir,

I am writing as a member of the international human rights community to protest the Republic of Korea's internet content rating system, which was enacted on November 1. The Information and Communications Ethics Committee has classified homosexuality in the category of "obscenity and perversion" in its "Criteria for Indecent Internet Sites," and called for the blockage of all gay and lesbian internet sites in Korea. Since the introduction of the Internet Content Filtering Ordinance, access has been blocked to many gay websites based in Korea. In November, Exzone.com, the first and largest gay and lesbian website in Korea, received a notice stipulating a heavy fine or two-year prison term for failure to comply with these measures. I demand an end to this blatant form of censorship.

These actions violate the right to freedom of expression, enshrined in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Korea is a signatory. The rights of the lesbian and gay communities are not acceptable 'trade-offs' to satisfy concerns about protecting youth from viewing material considered offensive. In fact, blocking information about sexual orientation on the internet denies access to vital, even life-saving information and community, particularly for the vulnerable population of lesbian and gay youth.

The Youth Protection Act of 1997 specifically lists information about "homosexual love" as harmful to youth. I call upon your government to revise the Act to remove this discriminatory measure. Articles 2 and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights recognize that all persons are equal before the law and are entitled to protection from discrimination. The United Nations Human Rights Committee has held this provision to protect people from discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Finally, because Korean lesbians and gays face many forms of prejudice, I encourage the Korean government to adopt protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. I appreciate your efforts to further the promise of universality of human rights and to extend protections against discrimination to every citizen in Korea, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Please send a written response informing me of the actions you intend to take in response to these concerns. Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

@@@@@@@@@@ BACKGROUND INFORMATION @@@@@@@@@@@

For detailed background information about this case, please see IGLHRC's previous action alert: "Korea: Bigotry and Censorship Masquerade as Protection of Youth: Protest Blockage of Gay Internet Sites," August 23, 2001, at:
http://www.iglhrc.org/world/ne_asia/Korea2001Aug.html

###

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ABOUT IGLHRC @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

@@@ ABOUT US:

IGLHRC
1360 Mission Street, Suite 200
San Francisco, CA 94103
USA
Telephone: +1-415-255-8680

EMERGENCY RESPONSE NETWORK
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)

@@@@@@@@@@@ ACTION ALERT @@@@@@@@@@@

EGYPT:

ACT *NOW* AGAINST INTERNET ENTRAPMENT AND RENEWED PERSECUTION:

NEW PRISON TERMS HANDED DOWN FOR ALLEGED HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR

RIGHT TO FREEDOM FROM TORTURE AND ILL-TREATMENT
RIGHT TO FREEDOM FROM ARBITRARY ARREST
RIGHTS TO FREEDOMS OF ASSOCIATION, ASSEMBLY, AND EXPRESSION
RIGHT TO RESPECT FOR PRIVATE LIFE
RIGHTS TO FREEDOM FROM DISCRIMINATION AND TO EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW

@@@@@@@@@@@@ SUMMARY @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Barely two weeks after 23 men were condemned in Cairo to serve prison terms at hard labor for homosexual behavior, two Egyptian university students were sentenced under the same law. Their crime: responding to an undercover police agent's request for gay contacts in an Internet chatroom.

The case clearly demonstrates a continuing campaign of entrapment by the Cairo Vice Squad. It also shows the scope given to intolerance and abuse by Egypt's Law 10 of 1961 on the Combat of Prostitution, which is regularly used to jail and discredit men suspected of homosexual behavior.

One of the two students, who did not appear at his trial and was sentenced in absentia, was condemned to one year in prison and one year of probation; the other received three months in prison and three months' probation. IGLHRC calls for an immediate pardon for both. IGLHRC again calls on Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak to pardon the 23 men convicted in Cairo in November, to investigate patterns of intrusive and abusive behavior by the Vice Squad, and to put an end to legally fostered persecution and discrimination.

Below please find:
Action (with government and embassy addresses for the Arab Republic of Egypt);
Sample Letter;
Background.
The Background section corrects information which appeared in both the Egyptian and international press, and was reflected in IGLHRC's previous release, "Egypt: One Step toward Justice, Two Steps Back" (December 19, 2001: http://www.iglhrc.org/news/press/pr_011219_2.html). IGLHRC's new information is based on consultation with Egyptian activists and attorneys and on perusal of the court files in the case.

@@@@@@@@@@ ACTION @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

IGLHRC calls for protest letters to the Egyptian government. Condemn the new convictions, and urge pardons for the two men. Urge the President of Egypt to pardon the 23 men convicted on November 14 under Law 10 of 1961, as well as Mahmoud, the teenager who was freed in an appeals hearing on December 19--but whose conviction still stands. A sample letter follows. Write to:

His Excellency, President Mohammad Hosni Mubarak
President of the Arab Republic of Egypt
'Abedine Palace, Cairo, Egypt.
Tel: + 20 2 910288 / 243 1915 /245 9816
Fax: + 20 2 390 1998, 20 2 260-5417 , 20 2 355-5700, 20 2 795 3192 or 20 2 795 8016
TELEX 091 93794 wazra un
E-mail: webmaster@presidency.gov.eg
Salutation: Your excellency

His Excellency, Counsellor Farouk Seif Al Nasr
Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice
Midan Lazoughly
Cairo
Arab Republic of Egypt
Fax: +20 2 355 8103
E-mail: mojeb@idsc1.gov.eg
Salutation: Your Excellency

Mr Ahmed Maher Al-Sayad
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Corniche al-Nil
Maspiro
Cairo
EGYPT
Fax: +20 2 574 9533
E-mail: minexter@idscl.gov.eg or ForMin@idsc.gov.eg
Salutation: Your Excellency

Please also write to Egypt's Embassies abroad. If your country is not in the list below, go to http://www.mfa.gov.eg/missions_a.asp?id=0505 to find contact information.

AUSTRALIA
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
1 Darwin Avenue Yarralumla
Canberra, ACT 2600
Tel: (62) 273-4437/8
Fax: (612)62734279
TELEX AA 62497 Boustan

BRAZIL
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Setor Embaixada Norte Av. das Naceos
Lote 12
Brasilia - DF 70435 -900
Tel.: (5561) 323 8800
Fax: (5561) 323 1039
TELEX 611387
E-mail: embegypt@tba.com.br

CANADA
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
454 Laurier Avenue East
Ottawa, Ontario KIN 6R3
Tel: (613) 234-4931 / 35/58
Fax: (613)2349347
E-mail: egyptemb@sympatico.ca

FRANCE
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
56 Avenue d'Iena
Paris 75116
Tel: (33) (1) 47 20 97 70 / 47 20 75 97
Fax: (33) (1) 47230643
TELEX 645297
E-mail: egypt_embassy_paris@hotmail.com

GERMANY
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Waldstrasse 15
Berlin, 13156
Tel.: (4930)4771048 - 4771250
Fax: (4930)4771049
TELEX 307997 EGYPT D
E-mail: Egembassy@hotmail.com

INDIA
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
1/50 M, Niti Marg, Chanakyapuri
NEW DELHI- 110021
Tel.: (9111) 6114096- 6114097
Fax: (9111) 6885355
TELEX 31 72245 EGND IN
E-mail: egyembindia@vsnl.com

SOUTH AFRICA
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
270 Bourke Street, Muckleneuk
PO Box 30025
Sunnyside 0132
Pretoria
Tel.: (2712)3431590/3431591
Fax: (2712)3431082
TELEX EYPEM SA 322222

TURKEY
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Ataturk Bulvari no. 126
06680 Kavaklidere Ankara
PO Box 06680
Ankara
Tel.: (90312)4684647/4261026/4266478
Fax: (90312)4270099
E-mail: egankara@yahoo.com

UNITED KINGDOM
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
26 South Street
London W1Y 6DD
Tel: (44) 020 7499-2401, 020 7499-3304
Fax: (44) 020 7355-3568 / 491-154
E-mail: etembuk@hotmail.com

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
3521 International Ct NW
Washington DC 20008-2023
Fax: 202 244 4319
E-mail: Egypt-embassy@usa.net

@@@@@@@@@@ SAMPLE LETTER @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

I am writing to express my outrage over the continuing persecution of men for alleged homosexual behavior. I wish to protest the conviction, in the Court of Misdemeanors at Boulaq Abul Ella on December 5, of Sherif A. and Islam A. under Article 9(c) of Law 10/1961. These two men were entrapped by Major Essam Abul Ezz of the Cairo Vice Squad, who lured them through an Internet chatroom and then arrested them.

The reputation of Egypt is at stake. This campaign of persecution must end.

These men are victims of an abusive criminal justice system. They join the 16-year old Mahmoud, who was convicted in September under Law 10/1961, and sentenced to three years in prison, despite strong evidence that his confession was extracted by torture. (Although his sentence was reduced and he was freed on appeal this month, his conviction and the stigma it carries still stand.) These men also join the 23 who were sentenced to prison terms at hard labor on November 14, in a show trial which made a mockery of justice and has drawn condemnation around the world.

I urge you to use your powers to see that all these men are pardoned and those imprisoned are freed. I urge you to eliminate the Emergency Law of 1981 which allows trials before courts which allow no proper appeal. I urge you to end the practice of prolonged, incommunicado arbitrary detention. I urge you to see that both press and criminal justice system abide by the terms of Article 23 of the Law No. 96 Concerning the Regulation of Journalists, which bars publication of details of a trial or investigation which might influence its outcome. I urge you to investigate allegations of torture and ill-treatment of detainees, and punish those found responsible. And I urge you to review Law 10/1961, which under the pretext of protecting morals invites police to abuse privacy, to practice blatant discrimination, and to violate internationally recognized freedoms of expression, association, and assembly. I urge you to work for the repeal of provisions--whether criminalizing "contempt for religion" or "habitual practice of debauchery" or "prostitution"--which can be used to deny basic rights which Egypt, as a party to international covenants, is bound to respect.

@@@@@@@@@@@@ BACKGROUND @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

On December 19, the Egyptian daily Al Ahram reported that two university students had been convicted for alleged homosexuality. The report appeared on the same day that Mahmoud, a 16 year-old convicted in the "Cairo-52" case, was freed by an appeals court in Cairo. According to the article (possibly timed to obviate any suggestion of leniency which Mahmoud's release might provide), a security agent posing as gay arranged a meeting where the two were arrested.

A number of confusing press accounts followed, with CNN and the Associated Press reporting that the men had been accused of "setting up a website" where they sought gay contacts. According to the Associated Press, judicial officials, "speaking on condition on anonymity," stated the men had been convicted on December 18, and had offered gay sex for 100 Egyptian pounds per hour.

The files in the case show many of these statements were misleading. The case was initiated by Major Essam Abul Ezz of Cairo's Vice Squad. On September 15, 2001, Major Abul Ezz, posing as a gay man, used a Yahoo chatroom where he "spoke" to the two defendants separately. He arranged to meet them separately, but on the same day, near the Ramses Hilton Hotel. There, he arrested both. The defendants were respectively 19 and 22 years old, and were students at two of Cairo's universities.

The Major testified to the Public Prosecutor that one of his "confidential secret sources" had assured him that many homosexuals offer sex on the Internet in exchange for money. Yet this allegation did not motivate the arrests--the Major accused only one of the defendants of asking for money in return for sex--nor did it figure in the final charge. Both men were charged under Article 9(c) of Law 10/1961, with "habitual practice of debauchery." This was the same charge used against the 52 men arrested in the Queen Boat discotheque on May 10/11 of this year. It is used in Egyptian law as a catch-all to cover consensual homosexual behavior between men, and (unlike other provisions of Law 10/1961) does not entail the exchange of sex for money.

The lawyer of Sherif A., one of the two men, stated subsequently at the trial that his client had been subjected to beatings at the Vice Squad. Nonetheless, both defendants pleaded not guilty when taken before the Public Prosecutor at Boulaq Abul Ella. (Boulaq Abul Ella--a district in downtown Cairo, near the Ramses Hilton--is different from Boulaq Al-Dakrour in Giza, where IGLHRC mistakenly believed at first the men had been arrested.) They were referred to the Administration of Forensic Medicine for anal and genital medical examination (a practice IGLHRC has condemned as invasive and abusive) and, according to the file, were both found "used." They were released by the prosecutor after charges were pressed.

Only Sherif A. appeared at the trial on December 5 (not December 18, as press reports indicated). Neither Islam A. nor his lawyer attended; possibly as a consequence, he received the longer sentence, one year in prison and one year's probation. He is believed to be in hiding. Sherif A. was sentenced to three months in prison and three months' probation. He appealed the sentence; his appeal was heard, and rejected, on December 22.

IGLHRC has monitored the Egyptian situation consistently since the beginning of what now appears to be a wave of arrests, in May 2001. Detailed information on earlier developments can be found in previous IGLHRC alerts, including:

"Emergency Court Trials for Homosexual Suspects" (statement by IGLHRC and Human Rights Watch), July 3, 2001 (http://www.iglhrc.org/news/press/pr_010703.html).

"Fact Sheet: Egyptian Justice on Trial: The Case of the Cairo 52," October 15, 2001 (http://www.iglhrc.org/world/africa/Egypt2001Oct.html).

"Egypt: Teenager Released from Jail After His Sentence Is Reduced on Appeal," December 19, 2001 (http://www.iglhrc.org/news/press/pr_011219.html).

See also a Press Information Note, "Explaining Egypt's Targeting of Gays," published by the Middle East Research and Information Project and republished by IGLHRC, at http://www.iglhrc.org/world/africa/Egypt2001Jul.html.

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@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ABOUT IGLHRC @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

@@@ ABOUT US:

IGLHRC
1360 Mission Street, Suite 200
San Francisco, CA 94103
USA
Telephone: +1-415-255-8680
Fax: +1-415-255-8662
Email: iglhrc@iglhrc.org
http://www.iglhrc.org

EMERGENCY RESPONSE NETWORK
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)

@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ACTION ALERT UPDATE @@@@@@@@@@@@@

BRAZIL:

LEGISLATORS RECOGNIZE FREEDOM TO LOVE

RIGHT TO FREEDOM FROM DISCRIMINATION
RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ SUMMARY @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

The State Parliament of Minas Gerais, Brazil, has passed Law 694/99. This groundbreaking measure adds sexual orientation as a protected status to the existing protections against discrimination, and also includes a specific provision stating that two people of the same sex have the right to show affection in public without being subjected to harassment or discrimination.

Law 694/99 also prescribes penalties for business, public servants and members of the general public who discriminate against others on the grounds of their sexual orientation. The bill was drafted by MP Joăo Batista de Oliveira, of the Partido Democratico Trabalhista (Democratic Workers' Party - PDT). Penalties include fines of from 1.000 to 50.000 reais; closure of the discriminating business or office; and dismissal of public servants with the possibility of disqualification from holding further public office.

In order to become law, the measure has to be ratified by Governor Itamar Franco. According to MP Batista de Oliveira and the local LGBT organization Movimento Gay de Minas, "It is very unlikely that any difficulties will arise."

Law 694/99 also creates a Referral Center where LGBT people throughout the state of Minas Gerais can seek advice in the event of discrimination. It also seats a representative of LGBT communities on the state Human Rights Council, with an active voice in public policy decision-making.

@@@@@@@@@@@ CALL TO ACTION @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

No further action is needed at this point. Activists from Movimento Gay de Minas thank all those people from all over the world who wrote to the MPs in support of Law 694/99.

If you wish to express congratulations to Movimento Gay de Minas, please write to

Movimento Gay de Minas
phelp2000@ig.com.br

@@@@@@@ BACKGROUND INFORMATION @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

For background see our previous action alert, "Support Legislators Who Recognize Freedom to Love," November 5, 2001 at

http://www.iglhrc.org/world/southamerica/Brazil2001Nov.html

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@@@@@@@@ ABOUT IGLHRC @@@@@@@@

@@@ ABOUT US:

IGLHRC
1360 Mission Street, Suite 200
San Francisco, CA 94103
USA
Telephone: +1-415-255-8680
Fax: +1-415-255-8662
Email: iglhrc@iglhrc.org
http://www.iglhrc.org

Press Release
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission

One Step toward Justice, Two Steps Back:
More Convictions for Homosexual Conduct in Egypt as Jailed Teenager is Freed

For Immediate Release: December 19, 2001

For additional information, contact:

Sydney Levy (IGLHRC, in San Francisco)
+1-415-255-8680 (office), +1-415-577-8680 (cell), sydney@iglhrc.org

SAN FRANCISCO -- Just one day before a Cairo court released from jail a teenager imprisoned for alleged homosexual conduct, two Egyptian university students were sentenced to one year in prison for allegedly advertising for homosexual contacts over the Internet.

The International Gay and Lesbian Human RIghts Commission (IGLHRC) is investigating the case. IGLHRC is gravely concerned that this case may represent renewed harassment of suspected homosexuals in Egypt.

"Arrests and abuses continue in Egypt," said Scott Long, IGLHRC's Program Director. "The pattern is the same: people suspected of homosexuality are picked up and accused of prostitution. Police use informers and the Internet to entrap victims. This carnival of injustice must stop."

The Egyptian State-controlled daily Al Ahram reported on December 19 that the students were convicted for setting up a website which allegedly offered gay sex for money. According to the article, a security agent posing as gay arranged a meeting where the two were arrested.

IGLHRC has not yet confirmed the exact charges in this new case. However, they appear to be the same ("habitual practice of debauchery" under Article 10 of the 1961 law on prostitution) as those levelled against the Cairo 52 who were tried before a State Security Court this year.

The two men were tried in the misdemeanor court in Boulak, a suburb of Cairo. It is the same court where four men were brought after their November 10 arrest on similar charges, including prostitution. Those earlier arrests were reported in the State-controlled press on November 15, the day after sentences were handed down in the Cairo 52 trial. The four men were accused of turning their apartment into a "den of perversion."

Mr. Long was in Cairo at the time attending the Cairo 52 hearing. He spoke to one of the 4 arrestees through the bars of a police wagon in Boulak. The prisoner told of being stripped, beaten, and tortured in detention. Both he and his lawyers denied the accusations of prostitution.

"In addition to these stories, we have other credible accounts of people being entrapped over the Internet," said Mr. Long. "These latest convictions are deeply suspect."

"So far in Egypt we have counted 23 men doing hard labor, one teenager released under uncertain probation terms, 4 men detained for weeks and not charged yet; now we are following the track of two students sentenced to a year in jail," added Mr. Long. "Is this the end of the tally? How many more lives are ruined and go unreported?"

For further information on today's release of the teenager, on the Cairo 52 case and the November arrests, please go to "Egypt:Teenager Released from Jail After His Sentence Is Reduced on Appeal" at http://www.iglhrc.org/news/press/pr_011219.html [note: this piece is being uploaded as we issue this release, if you need it and it is not online yet, please contact sydney@iglhrc.org for an email version].

###

International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
1360 Mission Street, Suite 200 o San Francisco, CA 94103 USA
T: 1.415.255.8680
F: 1.415.255.8662
E: iglhrc@iglhrc.org http://www.iglhrc.org

###

EMERGENCY RESPONSE NETWORK
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ACTION ALERT UPDATE @@@@@@@@@@@@@@

PHILIPPINES:

HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES "IN PRINCIPLE" LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER ANTI-DISCRIMINATION BILL

RIGHT TO EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW
RIGHT TO FREEDOM FROM DISCRIMINATION

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ UPDATE @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

On December 5, the Committee on Civil, Political, and Human Rights of the House of Representatives in the Philippines approved "in principle" House Bill (HB) 2784, a comprehensive anti-discrimination bill written in collaboration with lesbian and gay community activists. Following the recommendations of these activists, the Committee also approved two significant revisions to the bill: the inclusion of protections on the basis of not only sexual orientation but also gender identity, and the recognition of violations on the basis of both perceived and actual identity. IGLHRC forwards the following update and message of appreciation from the Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network (LAGABLAB), a coalition of 12 community organizations--and will continue to monitor the progress of this bill and support the ongoing campaign for its passage.

For more background information, please see recent IGLHRC Action Alerts:
"Philippines: Activists Renew Call for Support of Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Law Protecting Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgenders", November 27, 2001, at http://iglhrc.org/world/se_asia/Philippines2001Nov.html and

"Philippines: Join Campaign for Anti-Discrimination Laws Protecting Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgenders", September 27, 2001, at http://iglhrc.org/world/se_asia/Philippines2001Sep.htm

@@@@@@@@@ FORWARDED MESSAGE FROM LAGABLAB @@@@@@@@@@

This is so far the most meaningful celebration of the Human Rights Week for Filipino lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders (LGBTs).

Recently, the Committee on Human Rights of the House of Representatives approved "in principle" what could be the first legislative measure on LGBT human rights in the country. H.B. 2784, more popularly known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill, seeks to criminalize discriminatory practices and policies against Filipino homosexuals. Such discriminatory offenses include policies of some schools that prohibit the admission of gay applicants and the use of homosexuality as a cause or reason for the dismissal of lesbian and gay employees. It also intends to punish medical institutions and commercial establishments that refuse or maltreat Filipino homosexuals.

The Anti-Discrimination Bill is authored by Akbayan party Representative Loretta Ann Rosales and was formulated after a series of innovative dialogues with LAGABLAB, or the Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network. LAGABLAB is the largest network of LGBT groups in the Philippines and has actively campaigned against discrimination, along with Amnesty International - Pilipinas, an international human rights non-governmental organization (NGO).

In a public hearing held last December 5, 2001, members of the Committee on Human Rights unanimously endorsed the bill and concurred that the proposed legislation must be passed during this term. The bill was first filed during the 11th Congress by Rep. Rosales and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago. To date, the bill has no counterpart in the Senate.

The Anti-Discrimination Bill also received support from international advocates of lesbian and gay human rights. In a press release, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Right Commission, an international NGO, urged the Philippine Congress to pass the bill and put the Philippines in "the rapidly growing ranks of countries around the world--including South Africa, Fiji, Brazil, Ecuador, the Netherlands, Israel, and Costa Rica--that recognize the importance of national-level anti-discrimination legislation in the fulfillment of international human rights standards."

Last September, IGLHRC, Amnesty International Pilipinas, and LAGABLAB launched an international campaign that drew the attention and support of international LGBT human rights activists for passage of the bill. Overseas Filipino organizations, members of the parliament from various countries, and supportive individuals responded to the appeal.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ FURTHER INFORMATION @@@@@@@@@@@@@@

LAGABLAB can be contacted by e-mail at: kagandax@yahoo.com

###
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ABOUT IGLHRC @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

@@@ ABOUT US:

IGLHRC
1360 Mission Street, Suite 200
San Francisco, CA 94103
USA
Telephone: +1-415-255-8680
Fax: +1-415-255-8662
Email: iglhrc@iglhrc.org
http://www.iglhrc.org

@@@ HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE NETWORK (ERN):

To receive our action alerts via email (saving printing costs, postage, and trees), write to autoshare@iglhrc.org, with a blank subject line, and the following message in the body of the email:

For the English version: "subscribe ern-en "
For the Spanish version: "subscribe ern-es "

If you would like to cancel your printed ERN subscription, let us know by contacting IGLHRC. Contact information is above.

@@@ HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS EMAIL LIST:

If you would like to unsubscribe from this email list, please send a plain-text e-mail with a blank subject line to autoshare@iglhrc.org from the address you want to unsubscribe with a blank subject line and the following text in the body: "UNSUB ern-en"

@@@ CONTRIBUTIONS:

Participation in the Emergency Response Network is free, but contributions are greatly appreciated and needed. Contributions are tax-deductible in the United States. Contributions can be made on your Visa or Mastercard (just include the amount, your account number, and expiration date). Alternatively, contributions can be sent by check via regular mail to the address above.

[010817b]

Press Release

ILGA Secretary General at Risk

Five years ago, in 1996, when the women's group KALAKASAN agreed to rescue the battered wife of Rodolfo Farinas, the powerful governor of Ilocos Norte in the Philippines, they knew they risked challenging a notorious warlord. Farinas was one of those who continued to maintain a private army long after his patron, the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was gone.

It was during her few days of freedom that the wife, a well-known actress named Maria Teresa Carlson, decided to call the media. She shocked the Philippine public with what became the most-highly publicized litany of torture and battery endured by a woman in the hands of her husband, a high government official.

But because, like many battered wives, Carlson eventually returned to her husband's fortress, the backlash KALAKASAN experienced was quick to come. The KALAKASAN Director at that time was Anna Leah Sarabia, a women's rights activist, founder of the lesbian organization Can't Live in the Closet (CLIC), and the current Co-Secretary General of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA). Farinas publicly berated and threatened Sarabia, using her lesbian identity as grounds to sue her for alleged "alienation of affection" and for convincing his wife to leave him.

Curiously, despite Carlson's public plea to the authorities for help, and the resulting harassment that Sarabia was subjected to, not a single government agency intervened. In fact, Department of Social Welfare officials even criticized Sarabia for taking the agency to task for ignoring Carlson's pleas.

The saga did not end there. Last November 23, Carlson jumped to her death in what the police described as suicide. As the person most closely identified with Carlson's case, Sarabia was asked if she thought that the suicide was related to Carlson's ordeal. For telling the truth, and for calling the public to action against domestic violence, Sarabia risked the wrath of Farinas.

But Farinas was not prepared for the response. By a strange twist of fate, Carlson's death plunge came just two days before women's groups in the Philippines were to begin the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence. Public forums on violence against women, television interviews, and even novenas of church women suddenly focused on the Carlson case. The public expressed its anger at Farinas and at government inaction by supporting these activities.

The day after he buried his wife, Farinas launched a hate campaign against Sarabia, KALAKASAN and all "those women's groups" that are "just all lesbians." In interview after television interview after he buried his wife, Farinas mentioned "that Attorney Sarabia", "that lesbian". Without shame or fear, he announced "I will make them all pay" and "I will make her pay" for damaging his reputation.

In the same manner that the government took no action five years ago, the government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Philippines' second woman president, has said nothing, and done nothing. Despite public cries for an investigation of Farinas, of allegations of child abuse, and of his threats against Sarabia and women's groups, Arroyo has decided to ignore the entire problem. More than thirty women's NGOs have pleaded for the urgent passage of a Law against Domestic Violence, while the media and the public have raised the issue of women's human rights and the safety of women activists for three weeks now - but Arroyo has keep silent.

In the meantime, while Farinas walks free, the lives of Sarabia and other women who would dare testify against him are in danger. Sarabia is now put on the defensive and must seek protection from various private organizations and individuals for herself and for her family.

The International Lesbian and Gay Association is undertaking an international campaign to pressure the Philippine government into action, to investigate Farinas, and to protect the lives of women activists like Sarabia. No more lives need be lost to this preventable crime against women.

Please help us by spreading this message to all of your contacts and by writing to the following persons:

1. Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President, Republic of the Philippines
Malacanang Palace
Manila
Fax: +63-2-736-8621
Email: corres@op.gov.ph

2. Hon. Corazon Juliano Soliman
Secretary
Department of Social Welfare and Development
Direct Line: +63-2-931-79-16
Fax # : +63-2-931-81-91
E-Mail Add.: dinky@miss.dswd.gov.ph

3. Hon. Atty. Aurora Recinia
Chair, Commission on Human Rights
Fax: +63-2-929-0102
email: apnr@chr.gov.ph

4.Hon. Aurora Javate de Dios
Chair
National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women
Direct Line: +63-2-735-18-64
Fax # : +63-2-736-44-49
E-Mail Add.: board@ncrfw.gov.ph

5. Senator Franklin M. Drilon
President
Senate of the Philippines
Direct Line: +63-2-552-67-81 or 552-68-76
Fax # : +63-2-551-29-93
E-Mail Add:. Fmd@sendrilon.org.ph

6. Representative Jose de Venecia
Speaker
House of Representatives
Philippine Congress
Direct Line: +63-2-931-62-16
Fax #: +63-2-931-55-56

You may also forward your messages of support to the Task Force on Justice for Maria Teresa Carlson and Other Victims of Violence against Women in the Home to and .

Please send copies of your messages to ILGA at ilga@ilga.org.

For further information, contact:
Anna Leah Sarabia
Mobile phone: +63 918 920 4552
Office: +63 2 924 4945 or 921 2222
E-mail: womedia@phil.gn.apc.org

w_lead@philonline.com.ph