Teen released from prison after being anally probed to ‘prove he’s gay’
A young Tunisian man has been released after being given a one year jail sentence for being gay.
The case caused controversy around the world after the man was convicted in September, with many human rights groups challenging the judgement.
The man was originally summoned to a police station in Hammam-Sousse under false pretences, with officers saying they wanted to use him as a witness in a murder investigation.
However, six days later he confessed to being homosexual after an intrusive anal probe exam supposedly ‘proved’ he had been engaging in anal sex.
Although he was originally sent to prison for a year, an appeals court ruling saw the sentence reduced to two months, before the man was eventually freed after being detained for sixty days.
At the time of his arrest, MEPs across Europe spoke out against the law, with a letter being delivered to the Tunisian Justice Minister urging for the man’s release and that changes be made to Tunisian laws.
Scottish National Party MEP Alyn Smith said in a statement: “Tunisia is, in many ways, a progressive, liberal but still fragile democracy, and we are here to support this still new democracy and see what the people of Tunisia need when too many EU and EU member state politicians are more interested in simply extending the EU’s considerable border problems Southwards”.
“I think with real leadership we could see the offending, offensive and outdated, given it comes from Colonial times, article of the Constitution consigned to history,” he added.
“This would give Tunisia a much deserved position of leadership in the region”.
The Muslim majority country – where being gay has been illegal since 1913 and is punishable with up to 3 years in jail – has courted controversy by arresting and jailing a number of homosexual men.
Earlier this year, a Swedish man was jailed for two years for ‘homosexual acts’. A Belgian man was also jailed for ‘attempted homosexual seduction’ in 2013, after a police sting operation.
More recently, a court in Kairouan sentenced six young men to three years in prison for acts of homosexuality.
