Monday, July 10, 2006
Besakalbazlyk, what a lovely name
Under the criminal code of 1922 and 1926 in the Soviet Union, homosexual relations between consenting adults were legalized. Nonetheless, homosexual behavior in Uzbekistan was treated as a criminal act and Soviet Uzbekistan in 1926, declared homosexuality.
The criminal code introduced by Stalin in 1933 made homosexuality a crime punishable by five years of hard labor. The Soviet government treated homosexuality as crime against the state as serious as espionage.
On May 27, 1993, homosexual acts between consenting males were decriminalized in Russia. Several other former-Soviet republics followed suit.
However, in Uzbekistan, Article 120 of the new penal code of 1995 still punishes sodomy ("besakalbazlyk" in Uzbek) between consenting adults - by up to three years’ imprisonment.
The old Penal Code (Article 100) had followed the corresponding Section 121 of the old Soviet Union code, which only specifically criminalized "anal intercourse between men". There is no mention of lesbian and non-penetrative gay sex between consenting adults as being a criminal offense.
Homosexuality is not uncommon in Uzbekistan, but is still regarded as a social taboo.
Gays face regular police harassment. The places where they unofficially meet are forced to close or are heavily monitored by the police.
Despite the criminal offence, cases of criminal prosecution are rare. In 2002 an openly gay journalist was put on trial on charges of homosexual activity with a minor. There had been a lot of international pressure for him to be released. See this article about Ruslan Sharipov:
http://www.iwpr.net/?p=rca&s=f&o=174892&apc_state=henirca2003 ¶ 5:13 PM
Under the criminal code of 1922 and 1926 in the Soviet Union, homosexual relations between consenting adults were legalized. Nonetheless, homosexual behavior in Uzbekistan was treated as a criminal act and Soviet Uzbekistan in 1926, declared homosexuality.
The criminal code introduced by Stalin in 1933 made homosexuality a crime punishable by five years of hard labor. The Soviet government treated homosexuality as crime against the state as serious as espionage.
On May 27, 1993, homosexual acts between consenting males were decriminalized in Russia. Several other former-Soviet republics followed suit.
However, in Uzbekistan, Article 120 of the new penal code of 1995 still punishes sodomy ("besakalbazlyk" in Uzbek) between consenting adults - by up to three years’ imprisonment.
The old Penal Code (Article 100) had followed the corresponding Section 121 of the old Soviet Union code, which only specifically criminalized "anal intercourse between men". There is no mention of lesbian and non-penetrative gay sex between consenting adults as being a criminal offense.
Homosexuality is not uncommon in Uzbekistan, but is still regarded as a social taboo.
Gays face regular police harassment. The places where they unofficially meet are forced to close or are heavily monitored by the police.
Despite the criminal offence, cases of criminal prosecution are rare. In 2002 an openly gay journalist was put on trial on charges of homosexual activity with a minor. There had been a lot of international pressure for him to be released. See this article about Ruslan Sharipov:
http://www.iwpr.net/?p=rca&s=f&o=174892&apc_state=henirca2003 ¶ 5:13 PM
