ECOM, together with the Association for Human Rights in Central Asia (AHRCA) and International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), prepared a report on human rights violations against gays and bisexuals in Uzbekistan called Like living on a different planet: Gays, bisexual men and trans people vulnerable to abuse, imprisonment and discrimination in Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan still criminalizes consensual sexual relations between men, societal and religious homo- and transphobia are widespread, and there is also political influence from Russia and anti-Western sentiment — all this affects the quality of life of homosexual and bisexual men in the country.
The report reflects the reality that gay, bisexual and trans* people face in Uzbekistan. A young gay man from Uzbekistan summed up the situation of LGBT people in his country like this: "It’s as if we lived on a different planet, where it is normal to hate, imprison, discriminate and kill people simply for who they are."
Article 120 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan punishes consensual sexual relations between men with up to three years in prison. According to information from the National Center for Human Rights of Uzbekistan (NCHR) and the Ombudsperson of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan for Human Rights, in 2021, 36 people were convicted under this article, 25 of them to terms of imprisonment.
However, this data is just the tip of the iceberg. Our report shows that a large number of gay men live under the threat of being persecuted under Article 120. Our joint report documents how police exploited Article 120 to intimidate and extort money in exchange for not prosecuting. The report also documents a pattern of police using torture and ill-treatment against gay and bisexual men. Under the orders of Internal Affairs officials, doctors conduct anal examinations to detect "evidence" of homosexual intercourse, despite the fact that such examinations are "unscientific" according to the World Medical Association.
"This is the first unique document that analyzes in depth the systematic rights violations of gay and trans* people in Uzbekistan. The report collects and analyzes rights violations in various spheres of life. These stories confirm state-sponsored homophobia and transphobia in the country. And criminal responsibility for homosexuality gives free rein to enmity, hatred and discrimination.
It is very important for ECOM and our partners to continue working on the decriminalization of consensual sexual relations between men. Without abolishing the existing Article 120, it is impossible to effectively launch programs for the prevention and provision of HIV-related services for gay, bisexual and trans* people.
And from our experience, the decriminalization of homosexuality is only the first step. It is followed by a tremendous amount of work to reduce stigma and develop effective HIV programs. So, the sooner we achieve decriminalization, the sooner we can talk about achieving the 95-95-95 target in Uzbekistan,” says Yuri Yoursky, Human Rights and Legal Issues Coordinator at ECOM.
ECOM calls on the authorities of Uzbekistan to decriminalize without further delay consensual sex between men and to stop the torture of gays and bisexuals in the country!
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