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Morocco may grant rights to homosexualsââ¬Â¦ eventually
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International congress concludes that Morocco may grant gay rights ââ¬Ëwithin fifty yearsââ¬â¢
"Homosexual practices remain illegal in the north African nation and under Article 489 of Morrocoââ¬â¢s criminal code"
An international assembly to discuss gay rights in Muslim countries has concluded that Morocco could potentially grant rights to homosexuals ‘within fifty years’.
Homosexual practices remain illegal in the north African nation and under Article 489 of Morocco’s criminal code, there are prison terms and penalty fines for anyone engaging in "lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex”.
Last year Amnesty International was one of a number of human rights organisations to criticise the imprisonment of six men under Article 489. The six men, who were aged between 20 and 61 years old, were arrested between 23rd and 27th November last year following a video allegedly showing them at a private party emerged on the internet.
Despite a lack of evidence, the press reported that the men were attending a ‘gay wedding’ and each was served a prison sentence.
It is hoped that the international meeting to discuss gay rights will encourage a more open debate of LGBT rights and give Muslim homosexuals across the world greater hope of equality.
