Iran executes ‘gangster’ for alleged gay sex

Colin Stewart is a 45-year journalism veteran. He is the…

A man identified only by the initials “CH M” was hanged in public on April 19 for homosexual sodomy in the Iranian city of Marvdasht in Fars province, the city’s attorney general told the Fars New Agency.

The actual reason for the execution remained unclear, because the young man was labeled a “gangster” who “performed the type of ‘unlawful activities’ for which the death penalty is usually applied” by Attorney General Gholamhossein Chamansara said, according to Gay Star News.

He said the man’s “despicable act” violated Islamic Sharia law.

Gay Star News reported:

The Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRAN) stated that the reference to ‘despicable acts’ indicates that the death penalty was carried due to same-sex acts. However the judiciary regulatory office in Fars Province was unwilling to give more precise information about the case and the type of sexual activities of the executed man.

Commenting on the case, Hossein Alizadeh, of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) told Gay Star News: ‘None of the media sources that we have seen indicates that the person executed was gay.
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‘The state media have conflicting reports, noting that the person was involved in rape, sodomy and 10 other counts of criminal activities, including kidnapping and blackmailing.

‘Even the initials of the person’s name is reported differently in different sources. All sources so far have mentioned the person had a history of criminal activity and have described him as a gangster.”

‘At this point, all we have are three media reports by three state-run sources. Given the lack of transparency in the Iranian legal system, it is not possible for us to verify any of the information.’