Monday, March 7, 2016

Good News! Tunisia: Six Men Free After Sentence Reduced - URGENT ACTION

Amnesty International

Six men, who had been jailed for “sodomy”, are now free.

The six men were already free on bail, but were still under a sentence of three years in prison, to be followed by a five-year ban from the city where they were arrested.

They had been arrested on 2 December 2015 at a gathering in the city of Kairouan. They were brought to court on 10 December, convicted that day and given the maximum sentence of three years in prison, under Article 230 of the Tunisian Penal Code, which covers “sodomy and lesbianism”. They were also banned from Kairouan for five years after release. The men were released on 7 January 2016 pending the outcome of their appeal.

During an appeal hearing on 3 March, the men’s sentence was reduced to one month in prison (which they had already served) and a fine of 400 Dinar (about US$160), and their ban from Kairouan was overturned. 
Click here for ENTIRE Urgent Action. 
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