100 Iraqis face imminent execution for being gay

"Iraq's creaking judicial system is simply unable to guarantee fair trials in ordinary criminal cases, and even less so in capital cases, with the result, we fear, that numerous people have gone to their death after unfair trials.

"The Iraqi government must order an immediate halt to these executions and establish a moratorium on all further executions in Iraq, particularly since due process cannot be guaranteed.

"The state executing people for 'morals' crimes is also obviously unacceptable and deplorable," he said.

Amnesty International has called on the Iraqi authorities to make public all information pertaining to the 128 people, including their full names, details of the charges against them, the dates of their arrest, trial and appeal and their current places of detention.

■ The immediate urgent priority is to both support and donate money to LGBT activists in Iraq in order to assist their efforts to help other LGBT Iraqi people facing death, persecution and systematic targeting by the Iraqi Police and Badr and Sadr Militia  – and to raise awareness about the wave of homophobic murders in Iraq to the outside world.

Funds raised will also help provide LGBTs under threat of killing with refuge in the safer parts of Iraq (including safe houses, food, electricity, medical help) and assist efforts help them seek refuge in neighbouring countries.  Click on the Iraqi-LGBT logo below for details on how to help.

Amnesty International reports:

"The use of the death penalty has increased rapidly in Iraq since it was reinstated in mid-2004. Since then more than 270 people have been sentenced to death and at least 100 people have reportedly been executed.... [S]ince [2005], there has been a rapid rise in executions with at least 65 people, including at least two women, reportedly executed by hanging in 2006. Iraq now figures among the countries with the highest numbers of executions reported in 2006. Higher totals were recorded only in China, Iran and Pakistan."