An Iranian official whose job is to protect human rights has described homosexuality as an illness, after a UN special rapporteur expressed concerns about the systematic persecution of Iran's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Larijani made his remarks on state television in Tehran after Ahmed Shaheed, a former foreign affairs minister of the Maldives who is tasked by the UN with investigating Iran's human rights record, published his latest report which warned of widespread and systematic violations in the country. We don't consider it acceptable to beat or mistreat homosexuals, either. However, homosexuality is punishable by death in Iran, according to fatwas issued by almost all Iranian clerics.

Greedy? Confused? Bisexual Iranians go online to fight prejudice



Trump administration launches global effort to end criminalization of homosexuality
BERLIN — The Trump administration is launching a global campaign to end the criminalization of homosexuality in dozens of nations where it's still illegal to be gay, U. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, the highest-profile openly gay person in the Trump administration, is leading the effort, which kicks off Tuesday evening in Berlin. The U. Other U. Mission to the E. But while the Trump administration has had some success in pressuring Iran through stepped-up U.


Iran defends execution of gay people
The US is one of just 13 countries to have voted against a United Nations resolution condemning the death penalty for having gay sex. Although the vote passed, America joined countries such as China , Iraq and Saudi Arabia in opposing the move. There are currently six countries where the death penalty is used for people in same-sex relationships: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria and Somalia. This number rises to eight if the Isis-occupied territories of Iraq and Syria are included. There are another five countries where it is technically allowed, but not actually used in reality.



The Saudi-Iranian competition for regional hegemony has been wrongly interpreted as a Sunni-Shia rivalry. The ship was slightly damaged by an explosive object which caused a small fire and no casualties, state media reports. Arrests made over new music video by Sasy, an Iranian singer based in California, featuring a US porn star.