• Ukraine: Allow Equality March, Protect Participants
    May 23, 2013
    Ukrainian authorities should allow the Kiev Pride Equality March, scheduled for May 25, 2013, in Kiev, to proceed and protect its participants from violence, Human Rights Watch said today. In a letter sent to Kiev’s city administration on May 21, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International urged the office not to ban the Equality March, and to protect its participants from violence.
    Press release
  • Zambia: Stop Prosecuting People for Homosexuality
    May 20, 2013
    Zambian authorities should dismiss all charges and release two men arrested for engaging in homosexual acts. The police should immediately cease forensic anal examinations, which are intrusive, invasive and constitute cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment in violation of international law.
    Press release
  • LGBT Rights: The 2013 ‘Hall of Shame’
    May 17, 2013
    The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Rights Program at Human Rights Watch today named its candidates to its annual “Hall of Shame” to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. The American Center for Law and Justice; President Yahya Jammeh of Gambia; Vadym Kolesnichenko, a member of Ukraine’s parliament; and the Ukrainian political party Svoboda are undermining human rights by actively promoting homophobic policies, Human Rights Watch said.
    Press release
  • Cameroon: Drop Charges Against 2 Transgender Youth
    May 17, 2013
    The Cameroonian authorities should drop the charges against two transgender youth rather than appealing their case to the Supreme Court, four human rights organizations said today. Jonas K. and Franky D. are being prosecuted on what the appeals court has already ruled were trumped-up charges of homosexual conduct, the groups said in a letter to the Yaoundé prosecutor today.
    Press release
  • Russia: Investigate Homophobic Motivation for Killing
    May 15, 2013
    Russian authorities should ensure that the investigation into the murder of a young man in southern Russia includes whether he was murdered because his killers believed or claimed he was gay. Investigative authorities should examine all possible motives for the killing, including homophobia, due to the sadistic homophobic aspects of the crime.
    Press release
  • Ukraine: Reject Discriminatory LGBT Laws
    Apr 16, 2013
    The Ukrainian parliament should reject two draft laws that would discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and infringe on their free expression rights.
    Press release
  • Uruguay: Marriage Equality Approved
    Apr 2, 2013
    The Uruguay Senate, in approving a bill on April 2, 2013, to legalize same-sex marriage, has moved to guarantee marriage equality and diminish discrimination. The vote was 23 to 8. Uruguay would be the 12th country to approve same-sex marriage nationwide.
    Press release
  • Nepal: Climate of Fear Imperils LGBT People
    Apr 1, 2013
    The government of Nepal should allow lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) groups to operate freely and end arbitrary arrests of LGBT people. The government should investigate threats and attacks against LGBT people. Widespread harassment, including by the government, has contributed to a climate of fear among LGBT people and activists in Nepal, and has interrupted vital activities, including HIV prevention work.
    Press release
  • Cameroon: Rights Abuses in ‘Homosexuality’ Prosecutions
    Mar 21, 2013
    Cameroon prosecutes people for consensual same-sex conduct more aggressively than almost any country in the world, four human rights organizations said in a report released today. At least 28 people have been prosecuted for same-sex conduct in Cameroon since 2010. Most cases are marked by grave human rights violations, including torture, forced confessions, denial of access to legal counsel, and discriminatory treatment by law enforcement and judicial officials.
    Press release
  • Ukraine: EU Should Raise LGBT Rights at Summit
    Feb 21, 2013
    The European Union should urge the Ukrainian government at the upcoming EU-Ukraine summit to end abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Ukraine.
    Press release