Police Treatment of LGBT in Iraq

Ali Hili, the 33-year-old gay Iraqi exile who is the founder
and coordinator of Iraqi LGBT, which has members, supporters
and informants throughout Iraq, told Gay City News this week
by telephone from London "New reports tell us that the seven
gay men were arrested by the police in the cities of Karbala
Najaf, Basra, and Ammara, and no one has been able to obtain
any news of them since December 2."

This week Iraqi LGBT released a video of the muscular interrogation
of a transgendered gay man by Iraqi police. "His name is Ali, but he
was living his life as a woman, and was a member of our group," Hili
told Gay City News, "and was one of those who had been living in the
safe house we ran in Basra for those threatened with death."

"The video, apparently made by police for their amusement, is
disturbing in the fact that in addition to showing the police
standing around and laughing and making crude remarks in Arabic
about Ali's sexuality, it is also dubbed with hate and revenge
music in Arabic," Hili said.

Describing the video, Hili said, "Clearly this is a very feminine-looking
man dressed as an Iraqi woman, heavy set and all dressed in a black
traditional garment and veil. He is very sad looking and, you can
tell very fearful for what may be coming his way, as off to the side
there is a policeman with hair clippers preparing to shave the long
black feminine hair from Ali's head. Ali bends over as they shave him.
Clearly he has been held for a day or two as now he has a growth of
a beard in the shaving scene whereas he did not in the beginning
of the video. They proceed to shave his head completely and have
him stand up to face the cameras and this is where the video ends.
We have no word or idea of what has taken place since the video
was shot. We are hoping and praying that Ali is still alive."

The above are parts of the article done by Doug Ireland for Gaycitynews
to read the rest of the article click here

The video is from Iraqilgbtuk