Iran Executes Two Gay Men Under Sodomy Charges: Rights Groups

Iran on Sunday executed two gay men, Mehrdad Karimpour and Farid Mohammadi, both 32-years-old, after the authorities charged them with committing the crime of sodomy, according to a human rights group.

Trigger Warning: This story has details of execution of gay men and might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

The Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) reported that the executions took place on Sunday in the Islamic Republic of Iran and was under the country’s Islamic Sharia law system. Karimpour and Mohammadi had been on death row for six years.  

The HRANA said “the Iranian regime-controlled media has not reported on the executions of the two men based on the country’s anti-gay law.” 

The Iranian government served the pair a death sentence for “forced sexual intercourse between two men.” They were hanged in a prison in the northwestern city of Maragheh, a town 500 kilometres away from the capital, Tehran, according to rights groups.

‘Where’s The Outrage?’

Iranian-American journalist, Karmel Melamed tweeted: “The Ayatollah regime in Iran just executed two gay men for the crime of sodomy in Iran. Where’s the outrage from US Secretary of State Antony Bliken, GLAAD & other LGBT groups in the US to this horrific crime?!”

The Ayatollah regime in Iran just executed two gay men for the crime of sodomy in Iran. This is Mehrdad Karimpour and Farid Mohammadi who were executed by hanging. Where's the outrage from @StateDept @SecBlinken @glaad & other LGBT groups in U.S. to this horrific crime?! #No2IR pic.twitter.com/vDXypBvO4g

— Karmel Melamed (@KarmelMelamed) January 30, 2022

In another tweet, Melamed wrote: “Why do we hear crickets from @StateDept & major U.S. and European LGBT groups about the Ayatollah regime’s killing of innocent gays and lesbians in Iran? Why is U.S. & E.U. still in Vienna negotiating with this mullah regime that doesn’t respect human rights?!”

Why do we hear crickets from @StateDept & major U.S. and European LGBT groups about the Ayatollah regime's killing of innocent gays and lesbians in Iran? Why is U.S. & E.U. still in Vienna negotiating with this mullah regime that doesn't respect human rights?! https://t.co/Y4zbZTxeGa

— Karmel Melamed (@KarmelMelamed) January 30, 2022

Most Dangerous Country To Be Gay

The Washington Post via the American Press reported “homosexuality is illegal in Iran”, a country that is “considered one of the most repressive places in the world for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.”

The HRANA reported “last July, two other men were executed on the same charges in Maragheh.”

It also said “last October, the U.N.’s independent investigator on human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman told the U.N. General Assembly’s human rights committee that Iran continues to implement the death penalty ‘at an alarming rate’.” 

The Jerusalem Post reported that Iran “frequently” uses “sodomy charges” to “impose” the death penalty on LGBTQI people.

In December, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had arrested lesbian activist Sareh in the West Azerbaijan Province of Iran. Twenty-eight-year-old Sareh, was detained for 21 days by the Iraqi Kurdistan police after her interview with BBC Persian about the situation of  the LGBTQI community in Iraqi Kurdistan. She was arrested after she attempted to cross the Iranian border to flee to Turkey. Amnesty International and other rights groups had called on Iran to release Sareh.

‘4000 to 6,000 Gay Men And Lesbian Women Executed’

The Israeli news outlet also said “Iran’s theocratic state executed between 4,000 and 6,000 gays and lesbians since the country’s 1979 Islamic revolution.”

British LGBTQI activist and human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell told Jerusalem Post that “the execution of these men follows a long-standing regime policy of the state-sanctioned murder of gay men, often on disputed charges after unfair trials that have been condemned by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.”

He added, “the international community must impose Magnitsky sanctions on the regime officials, judges and prison staff who authorised these executions.” 

If you feel distressed reading the story, you can reach out to support services.

For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14

For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.