2 young Tunisians sentenced to 8 months for gay sex

Colin Stewart is a 45-year journalism veteran living in Southern…

Two young Tunisian men were sentenced today to 8 months in prison for homosexual activity.

Despite a negative anal test, Achref and Sabri sentenced to 8 months for homosexuality

Achref and Sabri, arrested in December in Sousse, were sentenced to 8 months in prison each for homosexuality, although the [abusive, routinely inconclusive and therefore worse than worthless] anal tests that they were forced to undergo came out negative.

À la Tunisie, Kairouan est située à environ 150 kilomètres (100 miles) au sud de Tunis. (Carte de brittanica.com) — In Tunisia, Sousse is located about 150 kilometers (100 miles) south of the capital, Tunis. (Map courtesy of brittanica.com)

On Friday, March 10, the Sousse court sentenced the two young men, ages 20 and 21, for violating Article 230 of the Criminal Code, which criminalizes sodomy and provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison.

Mounir Baatour, an attorney and president of the Shams Association for the defense of gay rights, told Kapitalis that this judgment is inconsistent with the findings of the forensic doctor at the Farhat Hached Hospital in Sousse, who stated that the anal tests he performed showed no signs of homosexuality.

“The Shams association denounces this decision and announces that it will appeal,” the lawyer said.

The two young men, who are currently at liberty, also said that they will appeal the judgment.

Achref and Sabri were arrested in early December 2016, released on Dec. 13 and then saw their trial postponed three times — first to Jan. 6, then to March 3 and then to today.

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