| Senate won’t protest executions |
| Written by Ron Hughes |
| Thursday, 19 November 2009 14:44 |
|
It is the second time in a less than a month the Senate has refused to support the rights and welfare of LGBT people in other countries. This morning, South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young brought the case of the three men, sentenced to death in Iran for the crime of “male homosexual conduct”, to the attention of the Senate. All three were under 18 when they committed their separate ‘crimes’. Hanson-Young moved that “the Australian Government… add its voice to international calls for Iran to immediately abolish the death penalty for persons who were under the age of 18 at the time of their offence, and halt all executions of those sentenced to death.” The United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a signatory, bans the death penalty for crimes committed when the offender was below 18 years of age. Hanson-Young’s motion was supported by cross-bench Senators but rejected by both major parties, apparently on the grounds that the issue was “a complex foreign affairs matter”. “It’s extremely disappointing that both the Labor and Liberal parties voted against my motion this morning on a matter that should be fairly straight forward,” Hanson-Young told blaze. “Australia opposes the death penalty. Australia opposes the criminalisation of homosexuality. How is this a complex foreign affairs matter?” On October 29, the Senate rejected a similar motion censuring Uganda for the introduction of draconian anti-gay laws which include the death penalty for certain acts. “The old parties’ position on this issue in the Senate is incompatible with Australia’s human rights commitments,” Hanson-Young said. “Australia, now a bona fide member of the G20 with all the influence that carries, should be playing a leadership role in the global campaign for human rights, including on LGBTI issues - I will continue to pressure the Government to do so.” According to Human Rights Watch, Iran is the world-leader when it comes to executing minors, with at least seven last year, and at least three so far this year. Iran faced an international outcry in July 2005 when two gay teenagers were hanged in the city of Mashhad in the country’s north-east. (pictured) (Photo: Iranian Student News Agency)
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Comments (3)
Labor-Liberal-National Coalition
written by Tristan , November 20, 2009 Could Labor at all levels of Government in Australia be any more pathetic? report abuse
vote down
vote up
Votes: -1
Sickening, but not really surprising
written by Tony Hickey , November 19, 2009 Just remember how pissweak Labor has been when it comes to the next election. We need more Greens in parliament and fewer Labor/Liberal/National stooges, no matter how LGBTI-friendly they pretend to be. Don't listen to what they say. Cast your vote according to what they do. report abuse
vote down
vote up
Votes: +0
Contact The PM and tell him what you think of this
written by Jeff Poole , November 19, 2009 http://www.pm.gov.au/PM_Connec...ur_pm_form Here's mine How fucking dare you pretend to have a moral bone in your rancid little body when the party you lead does this http://blaze.e-p.net.au/news/senate-wont-protest-executions-3332.html How can you ever expect to get queer votes again? I will be voting Coalition above you in the next election - at least they are relatively honest about their hatred. Never send any ALP party worker to my door because violence will ensue Jeff Then Rainbow Labor and tell them what grovelling hypocrites they are for supporting this nest of vipers. http://www.rainbowlabor.org/pages/node/8 Note to the Hypocrites in Rainbow Labor So how does it feel to be part of a oarty that condones the execution of underage queers in Iran? You are consorting with bigots and murderers. Leave this fucking party and let it become the rancid right-wing cesspit that it really is. Yours very sincerely report abuse
vote down
vote up
Votes: +1
Write comment
You must be logged in to post a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
|
A motion that would have seen the Australian Government protesting against the planned execution of three gay men in Iran has been rejected by the Senate.
Subscribe to this comment's feed