Petrelis Files

Iran Hangs Gay Man in Public; S.F. Plans Reaction

As I post this, I am in the process of contacting friends and politicians about an emergency response, possibly a candlelight vigil and speak out, here in San Francisco. If I have anything to say about this latest gay hanging in Iran, I will all I can to make sure silence is not the response from US citizens opposed to the death penalty, regardless of sexual oriention. I'll let you know how and when San Francisco will react to this hanging of a gay man in Iran.

From the Iran Focus news site:

14 Nov 06

Iran hangs gay man in public

Tehran, Iran, Nov. 14 - A gay Iranian man was hanged in public on Tuesday in the western city of Kermanshah on the charge of sodomy.

Shahab Darvishi was charged with organising a "corruption ring", deliberate assault, and "lavat", which means homosexual relationship between two men or sodomy, the official news agency IRNA reported.

Darvishi was hanged in the evening in Kermanshah's "Freedom Square" in front of hundreds of people, the report said.

Under Iran's Islamic Penal Code, homosexuality between consenting adults is a capital crime and official Iranian sources express hostility to homosexual practices. A state radio commentary on March 7, 2005 criticised gay marriages in Western countries.

Ayatollah Ebrahim Amini, an influential cleric, said in his Friday-prayer sermon in Qom that gay and lesbian marriages reflect a weakness of Western culture, state television reported on July 13, 2002. Ayatollah Ali Meshkini in his Friday-prayer sermon in Qom criticised the German Green Party for being pro-homosexual, state television reported on April 29, 2000.