"Homosexuality is a curable sickness, not a normal behavior"

Iran's top human rights official says while his country is against mistreatment of gays, they consider homosexuality to be a form of sickness that requires medical treatment.

Dr. Javad Larijani, the influential Secretary of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, made the statement last night in an interview with Channel 2 of Iran's State-run TV. His interview was a reaction to the most recent report by the UN Special Rapporteur's recent report on the human rights situation in Iran, which also addresses LGBT rights violations in Iran.

In his March 2013 report to the UN Human Rights Council, Dr. Ahmad Shaheed expressed concerns that "criminalising same-sex relations could lead to violation of core human rights guarantees, including the right to life, the right to liberty, the right to be free from discrimination as well as the right to be protected against unreasonable interference with privacy, provided under international human rights instruments, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights."

Dr, Shaheed's findings on the LGBT rights situation in Iran was based on interviews with "24 members of the Iranian LGBT community" as well as an analysis of the Iranian penal code. The UN Special Rapparteur notes,"Fifteen interviewees believed that they were arrested at least once for their sexual orientation or for associating with other LGBT persons. Thirteen reported that once in detention, security officers subjected them to some form of torture or physical abuse; including punches, kicks and baton strikes to the head or body and, in a few cases, sexual assault and rape. Several people reported that they were coerced into signing confessions. .... A majority of these individuals reported that they were beaten by family members at home, but could not report these assaults to the authorities out of fear that they would themselves be charged with a criminal act."

Read the Special Rapporteur's March 2013 report on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran here.

Responding to LGBT rights violations outlined in this report, Mr. Larijani told the national TV, " In our country, homosexuality is a form of sickness. It is illegal to promote homosexuality, and we have strict laws in this regard. But as far as the individuals are concerned, they are sick people who need medical treatment. We do not think it is right to physically assault gay people or mistreating them. But we are also against this notion in the West that homosexuality is a normal behavior which they insist we have to accept."

The Larijani family is known to be close to Iran's Supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei .One of Dr. Larijani brothers is Iran's Speaker of Parliament, and his second brother is the head of Iran's Judiciary.
The full text of Dr.Larijani's interview is available on the official website of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, which is part of Iran's Judiciary (http://www.humanrights-iran.ir/news-30712.aspx)

(Source: SOGI, by Hossein Alizadeh)