TUNIS, May 21 (
Thomson Reuters Foundation-
After four wins-
This year, Tunisia's leading gay, bisexual and transgender rights group has opposed the government's efforts to shut down homosexuality, saying it will push for the legalization of homosexuality as convictions for homosexuality are risingsex relations.
When the advocacy group was registered on 2015, the government went to court to block Shams, saying that the correct procedure had not been followed.
On Monday, the Court of Appeal upheld a ruling of 2016 per cent in the interests of Shams.
Munir Batur, director of Shams, said the court's victory would help legalize it --
According to Article 230 of the national criminal code for North Africa, sexual relations will be sentenced to three years' imprisonment.
He told the Thomson Reuters Foundation: "It validates Shams's legitimate rights against Article 230 and confirms Shams's right to fight for the rights of Tunisian LGBTQI people. Same-
According to ILGA, an LGBT rights group, sex is illegal in most parts of the Middle East, except for Israel, Jordan and Bahrain.
The same belief
According to Shams data, sexual relations increased by 60% last year, from 79 in 2017 to 127, and Shams recorded arrests and cases.
More than 25 people were convicted in the first quarter of 2019.
Despite the government's failure, the ruling was welcomed by Fader Marford, an official at the office of the Tunisian prime minister, who is committed to human rights issues.
Mafoudh said the verdict "proves once again that Tunisia is a country that respects the rule of law and that its judiciary is independent of the power of the government ".
The president has set up a committee on personal freedom and equality (COLLIBE)
On 2017, the organization recommended that Tunisia should not be criminally convicted.
For men suspected of being gay, an anal examination was enforced by a police doctor.
But according to Shams, when members of parliament refused to debate COLLIBE's proposal, the project stopped and Shams was one of the civil liberties groups that advised the committee.
Neela Ghoshal, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: "It is encouraging to see a court in Tunisia fighting for freedom of association for all (HRW).
"The court recognizes that rights advocacy for LGBT people is a legitimate human rights exercise. " (
Elizabeth Warman reports;
Editor Rachel Savage and Katie Migiro.
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