The gruesome murder of a 20-year-old gay man in Iran has shed new light on how the criminalization of consensual same-sex sexual conduct and gender non-compliance perpetuates systemic violence and discrimination against women. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. (LGBTI), Amnesty International said in a detailed analysis released on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersex-phobia and Transphobia. His assassination also highlights the urgent need for the Iranian authorities to enact and enforce laws to protect the human rights of LGBTI people.

Friends of Alireza Fazeli Monfared, identified as a non-binary homosexual, told Amnesty International that he was abducted by several male relatives in his hometown of Ahvaz, Khuzestan province, on May 4, 2021 The next day, relatives informed his mother that they had killed him and threw his body under a tree. Authorities have confirmed that Alireza Fazeli Monfared’s throat has been cut and announced investigations, but none of the alleged perpetrators have been arrested to date.

The brutal murder of Alireza Fazeli Monfared exposes the deadly consequences of state-fueled homophobia and is a tragic reminder of the urgent need to repeal laws that criminalize consensual same-sex relationships and gender non-conformity.

“The brutal murder of Alireza Fazeli Monfared exposes the deadly consequences of state-fueled homophobia and is a tragic reminder of the urgent need to repeal laws that criminalize consensual same-sex relationships and gender non-conformity. These laws promote a permissive climate for homophobic and transphobic hate crimes and legitimize violent attacks, including fatal ones, against people because of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Said Diana Eltahawy, deputy director for the Middle East and North. Africa at Amnesty International.

“The Iranian authorities’ blatant disregard for the life and safety of LGBTI people and the climate of impunity that prevails for such crimes sounds the alarm that his murder could go unpunished.

“We urge the Iranian authorities to conduct a swift, independent, impartial and effective investigation into the murder of Alireza Fazeli Monfared and to take urgent action to protect LGBTI people from discrimination, harassment, assault and other abuses. share of state and non-state actors. “

According to people interviewed by Amnesty International who knew Alireza Fazeli Monfared for months or years before his murder, including his partner and a close friend, he had faced years of homophobic and transphobic harassment and death threats from the from several male relatives because he had not. conform to binary socio-cultural gender stereotypes and “norms” in Iran. According to these well-informed sources, he had never reported such incidents to the police for fear of facing violence and prosecution by the authorities.

LGBTI people in Iran face widespread discrimination, live in constant fear of harassment, arrest and criminal prosecution, and remain vulnerable to violence and persecution because of their real or perceived sexual orientation and identity gender.

Under the Iranian Islamic Penal Code, consensual same-sex sex is criminalized and punished with penalties ranging from flogging to the death penalty.