From HRW to Turkey: End Stigmatization of LGBTs, Investigation of Bars

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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a statement regarding President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş's targeting remarks about LGBTI+s and HIV positive people and the ensuing investigations against Ankara and Diyarbakır Bars over their statements slamming this hate speech.

Making a call to the authorities in Turkey to drop the criminal investigation into those who speak out against homophobic statements by state officials immediately, the HRW has urged the government "to ensure that all of its representatives refrain from making statements that stigmatize lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and people living with HIV, and that put them at risk of harassment and attacks."

Reminding the authorities of their obligations under international and domestic law to ensure that the rights of the entire population are upheld and protected without discrimination, the HRW has said, "Fulfilling that obligation means they should censure, not support, officials who make hateful speeches against LGBT people and any other group at risk of harassment."

'They are obsessed with silencing critics'

Hugh Williamson, the Europe and Central Asia Director at the HRW, has also expressed his concerns about the issue.

"It is extremely concerning to see some of Turkey's top government representatives appearing to endorse hateful remarks by the head of the religious affairs directorate," Williamson has noted and added:

"Turkey's government has an obligation to protect everyone from hate crimes and discrimination, and should not tolerate statements by officials that encourage hate crimes and target LGBT people and those living with HIV.

"These outrageous criminal investigations show that the government and their prosecutors have little, if any, interest in defending the rights of LGBT people and ending stigmatization, but are obsessed with silencing critics, including of hate speech.

"The investigations should be dropped immediately, and authorities should focus on encouraging tolerance, nondiscrimination, protection from hate crimes, and upholding privacy for everyone."

What happened?

In his Friday sermon (khutbah) on April 24, President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş targeted LGBTI+s and the ones living with HIV.

Erbaş briefly stated the following:

"People! Islam accepts adultery as one of the greatest harams. It curses the people of Lot, the homosexuality. What is the wisdom of this? The wisdom here is that it brings diseases and degenerates the generation. Hundreds of thousands of people a year are exposed to the HIV virus caused by this great haram, which passes as adultery in the Islamic Literature. Let's come and fight together to protect people from this kind of evil."

Several rights organizations, politicians and bar associations condemned these remarks. Both Ankara Bar Association and Human Rights Association (İHD) filed a criminal complaint against Erbaş.

Noting that Erbaş spread hate with his statements, Ankara Bar warned that "if Erbaş remained in office despite his remarks about LGBTI+s, women and children, no one should be surprised if, in his next speech, he called on people to light torches and burn women as witches at the squares."

The Bar also argued that with his statements, Ali Erbaş, "whose voice was coming from ages ago, incited the public to enmity and hatred by presiding over a state institution and building his discourse on values held sacred."

In response to this statement, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation against Ankara Bar Association on April 27. The Presidency of Religious Affairs also filed a criminal complaint against its executives on the same day.

The Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office also launched an investigation against the executives of the Diyarbakır Bar due to their statement condemning the remarks of Ali Erbaş. The executives face the possible charge of "degrading religious values." (SD)