Success Stories!

Latvia Pride

Pride events in Riga, Latvia, 2007.

LATVIA: Gay Pride events in Riga, Latvia over the past two years have been interrupted by violent protests and bans by the authorities. In 2007 Amnesty supporters sent over a thousand appeals to the Latvian authorities urging safety for participants in the Riga Pride event. Over 70 Amnesty activists took part in the event. Watch the video and read Amnesty's blog.

<br />Former AIUSA Executive Director Bill Schulz with Washington D.C. Police Officer Sgt. Brett Parson and the

Former AIUSA Executive Director Bill Schulz with Washington D.C. Police Officer Sgt. Brett Parson and the "Pledge for Police Depts."

Six Major Metropolitan Police Departments Take the Pledge

As part of the campaign following the release of AIUSA's Stonewalled report, activists asked police departments to sign a pledge to take concrete steps to end targeting of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) individuals for police abuse and misconduct.

Police Departments that have signed the pledge so far:

DC Metropolitan Police Department
San Antonio Police Department
Fargo Police Department (ND)
Lexington Police Department (KY)
Memphis Police Department (TN)
Atlanta Police Department

Thanks to everyone who took part in the Stonewalled campaign!

LGBT NGO's granted consultative status at the UN

In January 2006 three LGBT groups were denied the right to a fair hearing on their application for consultative status to the UN's Economic and Social Council. The US aligned itself with severely oppressive regimes including Iran, China, Sudan and Zimbabwe prompting an Amnesty International campaign pressuring Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to change the US position and grant LGBT rights groups a voice at the United Nations. The US reversed its stance and on December 11, 2006 the applications were approved allowing the groups to be able to directly raise human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity at the United Nations. Read the ECOSOC press release »

Lim Taehoon at a demonstration. He applied make-up and wore a women's dress as a form of protest.<br />© Private

Lim Taehoon at a demonstration. He applied make-up and wore a women's dress as a form of protest.
© Private

Lim Taehoon has been released!

Lim Taehoon (28), a South Korean gay rights activist was arrested on February 26, 2004 for refusing to serve mandatory military service. Lim refused conscription because of his beliefs in non-violence and peace, and on grounds that the South Korean military discriminates against gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Illinois passes anti-discrimination Law

On January 11, 2005, Illinois became the 15th US state to amend its state human rights statute to bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in housing, employment and public accommodations. Thanks to all OUTfront supporters who took part in this action.

"I can tell you that these letters work".

Thanks to all who joined AI in calling for the release of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. He was freed on September 2, 2004. Ibrahim had been arrested after policy disagreements with then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. He was charged with "abuse of power" and sodomy.
Learn More »

The Blue Diamond Society

The 39 metis (male transvestites) arrested in Kathmandu on 9 August were released on bail on 20 August. The Blue Diamond Society, a local organization which campaigns for the rights of sexual minorities, has sent its "sincere and grateful thanks" for the work done on behalf of the 39, all of whom are members of the Society. They were arrested on the street and in bars and nightclubs. All were apparently told that they were being taken to a meeting, and to an identity parade to pick out the man who had attacked another meti on 7 August. All 39 were reportedly kept together in a very small and overcrowded cell. Police are alleged to have beaten two of the men severely, and verbally abused all of them, saying that acid should be thrown in their faces and they did not deserve to live. Many of the 39 are illiterate, and were reportedly forced to sign statements they could not read, while others, who could read, were not allowed to see the documents they signed.

Journalist Ruslan Sharipov has been moved from prison to house arrest

On 13 March he was reportedly transferred to a detention centre in Tashkent region best described as an "open" prison (koloniya-poseleniye, a "penal colony settlement"). He has reportedly been allowed to live with a relative, who lives close by, so he is effectively under house arrest. He has to report daily to the prison authorities and must not undertake any public activities such as attending meetings or writing articles for publication. If he breaks these conditions he could be sent back to a stricter regime penal colony to serve the remainder of his sentence. Under a December 2003 presidential amnesty his sentence was reduced to three years, one month and 17 days. According to at least one official statement from the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs he could qualify for early release after he has served a third of his sentence, which would be on 11 June 2004.

Wissam Tawfiq Abyad, a Prisoner of Conscience, was released on January 15, 2004. Wissam was arrested, detained and charged with "habitual debauchery" after he went to meet a contact he made at a gay website. Wissam's private conversations with the man over the Internet were used as evidence against him.

Zaki Sayid Zaki 'Abd al-Malak has been released!

We have learnt that the release of Zaki Sayid Zaki 'Abd al-Malak (featured in Worldwide Appeal - The Wire, April 2003) has been ordered after he completed three-quarters of his sentence in April. As you may remember, Amnesty International adopted him as a prisoner of conscience on the basis that he was imprisoned solely on the grounds of his actual or perceived sexual orientation.