From: Meg Satterthwaite <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 1994 14:15:31 -0800

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS FOR LESBIAN AND GAY CONCERNS

Volume 3, 1993 Issue #10

AIMLGC
P.O. Box 8293 Santa Cruz, CA 95061-8293

Summer Address:  (June 15-Sept. 10) 1833 Westwind Way McLean, VA
22102

Editor: Meg Satterthwaite, Summer Phone #: 703-893-1708

The AIMLGC newsletter is quarterly and is internal (for AI members
only).

AMNESTY ACTION ON BRAZILIAN MURDER

	According to information received by Amnesty
International, on the evening of Sunday March 14, 1993, Renildo
Jose dos Santos was violently abducted from his home in Coqueiro
Seco, Alagoas, in Brazil, by a group of unidentified heavily armed
men. Relatives of Renildo Jose dos Santos who witnessed the
abduction believe that some of the  men were plain clothes police
officers. Renildo Jose dos Santos' head  was found the following
day on waste ground bearing apparent  marks of torture. His body
was found two days later in another area  of waste ground also
bearing apparent marks of torture.  
	Renildo Jose dos Santos had repeatedly denounced death
threats  which he had been receiving since 1989, and which had
come from the  local mayor and the mayor's father, also a local
political leader. He  also accused a local police officer of
making an attempt on his life. According to written testimony
which he made in September 1991, he reported the death threats to
a local judge, but apparently no steps were taken to ensure his
physical safety. On November 27, 1991 Renildo Jose dos Santos was
shot and wounded three times, allegedly by a local police officer
whom he named in the testimony. Renildo Jose dos Santos
attributed the death threats and the attempt against his life to
political differences with the mayor and his father, and to his
public acknowledgement of his homosexuality.  He claimed that the
local police had not conducted a proper investigation into the
attempt against his life and that the state Secretary of Public
 Security had refused his request to suspend the police officer
from  duty, pending the outcome of the investigation.  
	In January 1993, the local council of Coqueiro Seco set up
a parliamentary commission of inquiry to investigate the conduct
of councillor Dos Santos under accusations that he had committed
acts "incompatible with Parliamentary decorum and bringing the
House into disrepute.", "atos incompativeis com o
decoro Parlamentar, o que esta denegrindo a reputacao desta
Casa Legislativa." Among the reasons given for the accusation was
that councillor dos Santos had publicly admitted his homosexuality
in a radio program. As a result of the inquiry councillor dos
Santos was stripped of his local council seat by the Council. He
was subsequently reinstated, pending a Judicial appeal.
	On February 25, several human rights organizations in
Alagoas wrote to the State Secretary for Public Security
denouncing the death threats and  attempts against the life of
councillor dos Santos and the alleged involvement of military
police officers in the attempts.  The organizations also denounced
the smear campaign against him.  To Amnesty International's
knowledge, no protection was granted to councillor dos Santos.
	In a statement to the newspaper "Jornal de Alagoas", a few
days before his assassination, councillor dos Santos reiterated
his denunciations of death threats and [the] discrimination
against  him from the local mayor, and attributed the smear
campaign to his  public acknowledgment of his homosexuality.  He
said that he was  frightened and desperate and that he feared a
new attempt on his  life or an abduction. To Amnesty
International's knowledge, nobody has been detained in relation to
the abduction and killing of councillor dos Santos.
	Directly following reports of the murder, Amnesty
International began a letter-writing campaign aimed at bringing
those responsible for the murder to justice, and denouncing the
murder of a person because of his homosexuality.  Urgent actions
were sent out, and many petitions, letters, and faxes were sent to
the Brazilian authorities.   
	This murder should be placed into the context of other
anti-gay murders in Brazil.  According to the Grupo Gay da Bahia,
for example, over one thousand gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals
have been murdered in the last decade.  Most of these murders have
not been fully investigated, and gay groups in Brazil are gravely
concerned about this neglect, and have staged actions and
campaigns aimed at ending the impunity.  Amnesty's action on this
case was part of a larger outcry after dos Santos' murder:
international gay and lesbian organizations, including the
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and the
International Lesbian and Gay Association, have also been sending
letters and faxes of protest.
 
(UA 78/93, Washington Blade, Vol. 24, No. 15;  This action ended
on May 31.  New actions on such cases will be included in the
newsletter.)

ILGA RECOMMENDED FOR OFFICIAL UN STATUS

	In an historic first, the International Lesbian and Gay
Association (ILGA) became the first-ever gay and lesbian
organization to be recommended for official consultative status at
the United Nations.  On March 29, the UN's Committee on
Non-Governmental Organizations of ECOSOC (Economic and Social
Council) recommended that ILGA be granted Roster Consultative
status.  If granted, this status will enable ILGA to submit
written statements to the UN on issues facing gay men and lesbians
around the world.
	This move came after a very long and often difficult
campaign by ILGA.  ILGA first applied for consultative status at
the UN in 1990.  In 1991, the application was postponed for two
years due to strong opposition by some members of the NGO
Committee.  A new application was later submitted, and ILGA
representatives met with missions at the UN to educate them about
the group's work, and to discuss the concerns that were voiced in
1991.  Here in the United States, ILGA activists have been working
at the UN in New York, making their presence known, and educating
UN representatives about their work on human rights issues.
	This work paid off in March, when, by a vote of nine in
favor and four against (with three abstentions and three
absences), the committee broke with tradition to vote instead of
deciding by consensus to accept ILGA's application.  Apparently,
consensus was not possible on this application because of
differing convictions regarding homosexuality.  Strong opposition
was expressed by the representative of Sudan, who said that ILGA
members had committed "nefarious and evil" acts.  The
representative of Iraq explained his opposition by saying that
ILGA's work was "against the value of divine religions and human
beings."  In addition, the representative from Oman said that ILGA
"stood against all moral and ethical values."  On the other hand,
representatives from Bulgaria, Chile, Cuba, France, Greece,
Ireland, Russian Federation, and Sweden voted in favor of the
application.  Costa Rica also voted in favor of the application,
then later reversed its vote.  Although Costa Rica cannot
officially change its record, there is some question as to how the
change will ultimately effect ILGA's recommendation.  Currently,
ILGA is awaiting final vote by the UN's ECOSOC Committee at the
end of June.  If granted, ILGA plans to use its new status to
bring gay human rights issues to the attention of the world
community. (ILGA Press Release, 3/31/93, and UN Press Release,
3/29/93)

AI PARTICIPATES IN GAY PRIDE EVENTS

	Amnesty International and AIMLGC will participate in
various Gay Pride events around the country this June.  March
contingents, tables, and merchandising are being planned.  AI
members will come out to Pride celebrations in: Atlanta, Tempe,
Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. (at both
D.C. Black Gay Pride and at D.C. Gay Pride), and Seattle, among
other locations.  If you are interested in assisting with these
events, or for information about participating, please call your
Regional Contact (see list, below).

New Questions & Answers Available

	The International Secretariat has made available a new set
of questions and answers on Amnesty International policy on Gay
and Lesbian prisoners of conscience.  Contact AIMLGC or your
regional office for a copy.

GAY HUMAN RIGHTS CLIPS

by Debora Campbell

The following accounts are not  from Amnesty reports; they were
culled from various different sources, including the gay press and
gay and lesbian organizations.  They are included here for
informational purposes, and represent the range of situations gay
men and lesbians face.  The presence of a story here does not
indicate that AI is or is not currently investigating the
situation.  Sources follow each account.
	China:  According to a BBC reporter, a discussion group
for gay men is being held regularly in a government research
center in Beijing, China.  Gay organizers are hoping to take
advantage of the government's newly relaxed attitude toward gays
by attempting to start up similar groups around the country.
While homosexual acts are not outlawed in China, gay men and
lesbians have faced violence and arrest at the hands of the
Chinese government.  (Washington Blade, 3/5/93)
	Costa Rica:  According to Colectivo Gay Universitario, on
February 6, 1993, police in the city of San Jos began a "cleansing
operation" centered around the city's popular gay and lesbian
nightclub, La Avispa.  Over the next several days, a number of the
club's patrons were arrested and subjected to police harassment.
During the same period of time, Costa Rica's Minister of Security,
Luis Fishman, announced his plans to remove any known homosexuals
from the police force.  (Colectivo Gay Universitario Press Release
2/15/93)
	Cyprus:  The European Court of Human Rights declared
Cyprus' sodomy law a violation of human rights.  Following its two
earlier rulings, the Court interpreted Article 8 of the European
Convention on Human Rights to include the right to sexual acts
between consenting men.
	Mexico:  On February 6, 1993, Neftal Ruiz, a gay rights
activist and vice-president of the Grupo Gay Travesti, was
murdered in the state of Chiapas, Mexico.  Human rights and gay
rights groups consider this murder an assassination, given that
Ruiz had been a very vocal public figure, demanding investigations
of prior murders of gays.  Since the middle of 1990, over 30 gay
men and transvestites have been murdered in Mexico, with the
heaviest concentration in Chiapas and Mexico City.  Activists
charge the Mexican government with inadequate and slow
investigations into the murders.  Many well-known groups in Mexico
have charged the police and factions of the army with the murders.
(Letter from Circulo Cultural Gay and the Department of Human
Rights of the Archdiocese of Mexico, 2/13/93)
	Peru:  On January 2, 1993, Peru's President, Alberto
Fujimori stated that he dismissed a number of individuals from his
diplomatic corps on the basis that they were gay.  According to
reports from the International Lesbian and Gay Association, the
dismissals were part of an attempt to purge the corps of anyone
who did not support Fujimori.  Most of the people who were purged
were neither gay nor lesbian, but were perceived as threats to
Fujimori's policies.  Following the dismissals, 15 of those fired
came out as being gay or lesbian.  (ILGA Press Release, 1/19/93)
	Russia:  At the end of April, President Yeltsin signed a
law repealing the sections of Article 121 which criminalized
consensual, private sexual acts between men.  The law was signed
at the end of April, published at the end of May, and is now in
effect.  While this move has been welcomed by gay and lesbian
organizations, there is concern for the men already imprisoned
under Article 121.  Currently, there are no proposed amnesty laws.
	South Africa:  The ruling National Party of South Africa
presented a potential new Charter of Fundamental Human Rights on
February 5, 1993.  Gay and lesbian rights are not protected under
the proposed charter.  In addition, a statement made by a
spokesperson for South Africa's Minister of Justice made it clear
that the current government supports the standing sodomy laws,
which can lead to life imprisonment.  The African National
Congress's proposed civil rights charter, on the other hand, does
include protections for gay men and lesbians.  (Washington Blade,
Vol.24, No.  16)
	United States:  Chicago attorney, Robert Spriggs, is
charging the military with attempting to silence Spriggs' client,
Larry Meholick, a gay man imprisoned at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
on charges of forcible sodomy.  Meholick, who was originally held
at Miramar prison, was recently transferred to Fort Leavenworth
and put into solitary confinement.  Spriggs is suggesting that his
client, whose case had been receiving considerable media attention
before the transfer, was moved to Fort Leavenworth as a tactic to
silence him.  Spriggs claims that Meholick's trial was unfair, and
that when he pled guilty to the charges he faced he did not even
know what those charges were.  (Washington Blade, 3/19/93)
	In Washington, D.C., Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly signed a
bill that will reform D.C.'s sodomy law in May.  (See article,
issue #10).  Because D.C. has limited home rule (it is not a
state, and not in a state), legislation passed by the D.C. City
Council is reviewed by Congress, and Congress has the ability to
block any legislation.  In 1981, the D.C. City Council repealed
its sodomy law, but faced a challenge by the Moral Majority in
Congress, which was able to defeat the repeal.  The present review
period of the new bill lasts sixty days. (NGLTF Activist Alert,
5/93)
	Debora Campbell is  an intern at AIMLGC, and is majoring
in Community Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

AIMLGC Steering Committee

Action:

Abe Bonowitz Meg Satterthwaite Paul Tighe

Policy:

Catherine DeFlorio Alice Miller Cynthia Rothschild Meg
Satterthwaite Vince Steele

Staff Liaison:

Cary Johnson

Liaison to HIV Task Force:

Sofia Gruskin

Officers:

Chair:  Meg Satterthwaite Treasurer:  Paul Tighe Secretary:  Neil
Demers-Grey Database Coordinator: Mike Lax

Submissions:

We welcome submissions to the AIMLGC newsletter.  Please keep
articles to two pages, typed single-spaced.  Submissions should
address issues of gay and lesbian human rights as a facet of
Amnesty International's work.  Submissions will be edited by the
coordinating editor.  Please send submissions to AIMLGC, or call
your Regional Contact for more information.  Deadline for issue
#11: August 15.

Subscriptions:

One-year, four issue subscriptions are $8.00  Please make checks
payable to AIMLGC.

AIMLGC is an official membership network of Amnesty International,
USA.  Amnesty International is an independent worldwide movement
working impartially for the release of all prisoners of
conscience, fair and prompt trials for political prisoners and an
end to torture and executions.  It is funded by members and
supporters throughout the world.

AIMLGC AND AMNESTY ACTIVISM

By Abe Bonowitz

	Recently I heard a comment that was made by someone with a
lot of experience in another grassroots based organization.
Wanting to build support from women, the organization hired
someone to organize their "women's network."  Because there was a
staff person whose job was handling the "women's issues," everyone
else left that sector to itself.  Forced to act almost as its own
entity, it became ghetto-ized and the project failed. AIMLGC
members must act to prevent the same thing from happening to this
network.  While many of us came to AIMLGC after having been AI
members for a while, there are new members who joined specifically
because of AI's decision to take up work on cases of people
imprisoned for their homosexuality.  Our challenge is to fully
integrate AIMLGC membership into other areas of AI activism.
	With a current mailing list of over 1000 people, AIMLGC is
one of the strongest and most active of the AIUSA Networks.  If
more of us participate in other areas of Amnesty, we will
increasingly empower ourselves and AIMLGC within the movement.
AIMLGC members must recognize that we are only a small part of a
huge movement, and that cases involving homosexuals are just one
of the many types of cases we act on.  While many of us choose to
focus on a specific area of the mandate such as death penalty or
refugee work, it must be kept in mind that AI members are expected
to regularly work on all areas of concern.
	Listed below are some of the ways to get involved in other
areas of Amnesty.  Every AIMLGC member should be on the Urgent
Action (see below) mailing list and should try to get involved in
at least one other AI entity.  Please write to the listed address
for specific information or to get involved in the following
areas.
	First things first.  If you are not a regular member of
Amnesty International USA, join today.  The M in AIMLGC stands for
MEMBERS.
Your membership in the national organization is what pays for the
research and adds to our political clout.  National membership
gives you access to all AIUSA programs, and it also gives you the
right to vote in policy discussions and in elections for members
of the board of directors.  Regular dues is $25 or more, limited
income is $15.  Put it on a credit card at 1-800-55Amnesty or mail
a check to AIUSA, 322 Eighth Ave., New York, NY 10001.  Even if
you cannot contribute money you can still be a member.  Write to
Jeffrey Outler at the New York address and ask for a "dues waiver
form."  There is no excuse not to be a member.
	Join the Urgent Action Network.  This program sends you
many of the same actions you'll find in this newsletter, but
you'll get them immediately.  Write to Scott or Ellen at the UAN
office and ask them to put you on the list to receive all actions
on cases regarding abuses against homosexuals.  You should also
ask to receive other actions on a regular basis - 2, 4, 6 or 8
each month.  Don't worry, you will receive complete "how to"
information.  Write to Scott or Ellen at:  UA Program Office,
P.O.
Box 1270, Nederland, CO. 80466-1270.
	Seek out and become a member of your nearest community or
student/youth AI chapter.  To find the nearest one, send a note
with your name and address, stating that you want to know where
the nearest group is, to the AIMLGC P.O. Box.  We'll forward it to
the appropriate regional office.
	Join one of the other networks.  For information about the
Educators, Legal Support, or Health Professionals Networks, write
to Jyoti Gupta in the Chicago office at AIUSA, 53 W. Jackson St.,
#1162, Chicago, IL 60604.  For information about the Refugee
Network, write to Nick Rizza at
AIUSA, 500
Sansome St. #615, San Francisco, CA, 94111.  For information about
the Conscientious Objectors Support Network, Write to COSN, 8
Albany, Irvine, CA 92714.  For the Women's Network, the U.S.
Government Action Network and the Freedom Writers Network, Write
to AIUSA, 322 Eighth Ave., New York, NY 10001.

Abe Bonowitz is AIMLGC's Mid-Western Regional Contact, and serves
on the AIMLGC Steering Committee.  He is also an Area Coordinator,
and is currently running for the AIUSA Board of Directors.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL MARCHES IN WASHINGTON FOR LESBIAN
AND GAY
HUMAN RIGHTS
By Paul Tighe
	It was a weekend of firsts: AIMLGC's first steering
committee meeting and membership event since gaining official
status; the first public event co- sponsored by Amnesty
International and two International Lesbian and Gay Rights
Organizations; the first time Amnesty International participated
in a National Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Human Rights March; the
first time anyone in AIMLGC (except Cynthia Rothschild) met my
lover, Larry.  Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25 marked the
beginning of a new era of cooperation between Amnesty
International and the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Community.
	Amnesty International Members for Lesbian and Gay Concerns
emerged from its first steering committee meeting with a new
structure that will take us beyond what we have already
accomplished.  With Meg Satterthwaite as Chair, this structure
will enable us to communicate more efficiently and effectively
within the network, within the larger framework of Amnesty
International, and with our local, national and international
lesbian, gay and bisexual communities. We also learned of three
new action files on gay men in Romania (see action in this issue),
and were updated on AI's work on Tasmania's sodomy law, and the
Urgent Action on Renildo Jos dos Santos, a gay man in Brazil who
was extra-judicially executed (see story, above).  In addition, we
began to prepare for the upcoming Theme Action on lesbian and gay
human rights in 1994.
	Sunday morning, over a hundred people crowded into AI's
Capitol Hill Office for a pre-march reception, co-hosted by AI,
the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) and the
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC).
Addressing the crowd were gay and lesbian activists from El
Salvador, Colombia, Russia, and Canada.  One got the sense of a
new unity that is beginning to take shape between our communities,
which needs to be encouraged and strengthened.  I must admit,
though, that the highlight of the reception for me was when Harry
Hay, one of the founders of the gay rights movement in the US,
made
a stunning surprise appearance (with a fabulous entourage).  Those
who met Larry got the chance to make another kind of history.
Armed with a loaded Minolta Maxim, he enlisted volunteers to have
their pictures included in the Lesbian and Gay Pride Month display
at Piscataway High School in Piscataway, New Jersey. Many thanks
to Jacki, Cary, Meg, Neil, Julie, Myra and the other AI, ILGA and
IGLHRC members and staff who consented to be included.
	We approached our gathering spot on the ellipse as Jesse
Jackson was addressing the still growing crowd, shortly before
step-off.  He spoke of the need for all those engaged in the
struggle for rights to work hand in hand and recognize our common
goals.  A fitting theme to have running through our minds as we
stepped off the ellipse and onto the streets.  As we raised the
banner - LOVE IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL - a
loud cheer went up.    Along the march route we were greeted with
cheers of encouragement.  Many of us wore the "LOVE
IS A
BASIC HUMAN RIGHT" T-shirt that Abe Bonowitz designed: a special
commemorative edition for the March on Washington.  (There are
still shirts left, buttons too!  Contact Abe, address below.)  As
often happens in gatherings of a million or more people, we got
separated from the rest of our contingent early in the march. Part
way through, we discovered that ILGA and IGLHRC were some distance
behind us.  We then stepped aside, and enjoyed the march from the
sidelines, while waiting to rejoin our contingent.  As we waited,
we greeted ACT-UP, P-FLAG, The Names Project, GMAD, Salsa Soul
Sisters, Men of All Colors Together, and numerous other activists.
And they enthusiastically greeted us back.  The defining moment,
however, came when we rejoined our contingent.  As the IGLHRC
banner approached, we again raised the Amnesty banner.  Cheers of
recognition and excitement resounded as we joined together again,
marching side by side.  For me, that moment has come to symbolize
the growing spirit of cooperation and the budding unity that was
apparent that weekend.  But there was something more: a sense of
accomplishment, that we had really achieved something.  We've
waited a long time for the day when Amnesty International and the
Lesbian and Gay community would march side by side, affirming that
love is indeed a basic human right.  And we have worked long and
hard to help bring that day about.  That day is finally here.
There is still an incredible amount of work to be done.  However,
we need to acknowledge how far we have come, and take
encouragement from that.  We are one step closer to the vision
that so many of us hold: of a unified human rights movement,
working in concert to make it a better world for gay, lesbian and
bisexual people; people of color; prisoners of conscience and all
who desire a more just and tolerant world.  As the twenty-fifth
anniversary of Stonewall approaches, it is incumbent upon us to
press forward, and to help make that vision a reality.  Paul Tighe
was a co-founder of AIMLGC, and currently serves on the Steering
Committee  and  as  Treasurer.  He is also an Area Coordinator for
New Jersey.

AIMLGC ACTIVE ON NORTHWEST

by Scott Douglas

	AIMLGC's network of activists and supporters is growing
rapidly in the Pacific Northwest as local group leaders work to
reach out to the
community.  Throughout the region, education on the human rights
abuses faced by the lesbian/bi/gay international community has
been met with strong support and a strong commitment to work to
eradicate these abuses.
	Several workshops have been held locally and at the
October Area Meeting on Amnesty's work on behalf of gays and
lesbians.  Overwhelmingly, people have expressed a desire to do
more to prevent human rights abuses based on sexual orientation.
Efforts to reach out to the lesbian/bi/gay community have also
been effective.  Amnesty was represented at Seattle's Pride Day
rally, and at a National Coming Out Day event in Olympia.  Plans
are underway for AI representation in this year's Pride Day
parades and rallies in Seattle, Olympia, and Portland.  AI was
also represented at April 25 solidarity marches throughout the
region, corresponding to the March on Washington.
	Concern over human rights abuses against lesbians and gays
in our own community is also growing.  The Oregon Citizens'
Alliance (OCA) campaign to constitutionally classify homosexuality
as "abnormal, wrong, unnatural, and perverse," failed at the state
level in Oregon, but passed in the municipality of Springfield.
The OCA has established Citizens' Alliances in Washington and
Idaho, and plans to continue efforts to enact laws of
discrimination.  The ill-effects of such a campaign were acutely
felt in Oregon, where the incidence of hate crimes against gays
and lesbians increased dramatically.  The most fearful occurrence
was the murder of two members of the gay and lesbian community in
Salem, when their house was firebombed.
	Organized opposition to the new Citizens Alliance of
Washington (CAW) is strong at every level.  Governor Mike Lowry
and Seattle Mayor Norm Rice have taken strong public stands in
favor of the passage of civil rights legislation for gays and
lesbians, and several organizations, including Washington Citizens
for Fairness/Hands Off Washington! and the Washington Freedom
Coalition, are mobilizing to prevent the CAW from wreaking the
same havoc they wrought in Oregon.
	A bill to add gender and sexual orientation to the
	Malicious Harassment law finally passed this year, putting
hate crimes against gays and lesbians on equal footing with crimes
based on race, ethnic origin, or religion.
	Although Amnesty International takes no stand on
legislation of this nature, human rights activists in Washington
applaud the move to protect human rights within our own community.
	AIMLGC will be increasing its efforts in the Northwest to
draw parallels between local and international issues of human
rights, and to
engage activists in the struggle to end human rights abuses for
all people the world over.
	Scott Douglas is AIMLGC's Northwest Regional Contact, and
is Coordinator of AI-Olympia and a member of the Puget Sound
Cluster group.  He is also a trainer for AI.

AIMLGC Regional Contacts

SOUTH:

Vince Steele 5009 T Endolwood Road Charlotte, NC  28515

Mike Lax 12514 B Esplanade Street Austin, TX  78727-4409
(512)837-1596

MID-ATLANTIC:

Jacki Weber 411 Tulip Takoma Park, MD 20912 (301)270-2126

NORTHEAST:

TBA

MIDWEST:

Abe Bonowitz 3150 Broadmoor Avenue Columbus, OH  43209
(614)235-6371

WEST:

George Dedes Unit G 1535 N. Obispo Avenue Long Beach, CA  90804

Neil Demers-Grey 6403 Whipoorwill Street #104 Ventura, CA 93003
(805)650-9546

David Jeffries 822 S. Mill Ave. Suite 106 Tempe, AZ  85281
(602)894-5568

NORTHWEST:

Scott Douglas P.O. Box 1624 Olympia, WA 98502 (206)352-0451

AIMLGC Urgent Action Appeal

Romania: Ill-treatment of Ienel S.

	Amnesty International is concerned that Ienel S. (full
name withheld by request), a gay man from Romania, was allegedly
beaten by police officers until he signed a confession.

Background:

	Ienel S., aged 21, was arrested on 29 October 1990 in the
village of Corod, Galati County, where he was attending a wedding.
Around 2 am, he reportedly left the festivities to go back to the
house where he was staying.  He was followed by a 24-year old man
(who had been reportedly been arrested previously for homosexual
acts and was released in 1988 and is suspected of being a police
informer).  This person allegedly proposed that Ienel S. go with
him to a garden or into the park.  Ienel S.  asked the man to come
back with him to the house where he was staying.  The man refused,
insisting that they go someplace outside.  At around 6 am, Ienel
S. was woken by police officers who took him to the village police
station.
	He was accused of having forced the other man to have oral
sex with him.  This was supported by the testimony of an
eye-witness, a cousin of the alleged victim, who claimed to have
seen the entire scene through a window of the house.
	Ienel S. was reportedly beaten by police officers from 7
am to 8 pm.  They beat him with wooden sticks on the torso and on
the back, as well as on the hands and feet in order to force him
to confess to the crime.  After signing a confession, he was
reportedly taken in a semi-conscious state to a doctor to be
examined.  Without a proper examination the doctor signed a clean
certificate of his physical condition.
	According to the report received by Amnesty International,
Ienel S.  is scrawny and extremely weak looking and has severely
impaired vision.  It seems unlikely that Ienel S. used force in
connection with the sexual acts
for which he was charged.  Amnesty International has received many
reports where the courts in Romania have used as evidence
confessions of the accused, although they were later retracted.
The same reports suggest that the police frequently resort to
torture or other ill-treatment to force suspects to confess to a
crime.
	Ienel S. was convicted under Article 200 paragraphs 1 and
2 and sentenced to four years' imprisonment and is now in Galati
prison.  He will soon be eligible for parole.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send courteously worded letters in English, French, German,
or Spanish:
--  Giving details of the case, including the dates of arrest, the
prisoner's name, and the code under which he was convicted;
--  Expressing concern at the alleged ill-treatment of Ienel S.
State your concern that this ill-treatment may have been motivated
by his sexual orientation;
--  Expressing concern that this ill-treatment was administered to
induce him to sign a confession.  Please note in your letters that
Amnesty International is opposed to torture and ill-treatment of
all prisoners and detainees.
--  Urging the authorities to undertake a full and impartial
investigation into the case; to make its findings public; and to
bring to justice all those found responsible.

APPEALS TO:

President:

D-lui Ion Iliescu Excelentei Sale Presedintele Romaniei Piata
Victoriei Bucuresti
ROMANIA

Prime Minister:

D-lui Nicolae Vacaroiu Prim Presedinte al Consiliului de Ministri
Str Academiei 34 Bucuresti
ROMANIA

Prosecutor General:

D-lui Mihai Ulpiu Popa Cherecheanu Procuror General al Romaniei
B-dul Unirii Nr 24 Sector 5 Bucuresti
ROMANIA

General Inspectorate of Police:

Inspecorat General de Politie 13 Stefan cel Mare 79155 Bucuresti
ROMANIA

Military Prosecutor of Bucharest:

Procuror Militar din Bucuresti Calea Rahovei 39 70503 Bucuresti
ROMANIA

If you receive replies from the Romanian government, please send
one copy to AIMLGC, and one copy to Amnesty's International
Secretariat at 1 Easton Street, London, WC1X 8DJ, U.K.

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