On June 24, 2022, Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi issued a letter instructing Internal Security Forces Directorate members to urgently crack down on all LGBTQI+ meetings, celebrations, and events that “promote” homosexuality.
CLDH and Euromed Rights raised their concerns and full rejection of the aforementioned decision to Isabel Santos, the Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries. The organizations shed light on the continuous human rights violations committed previously against the Lebanese LGBTQI+ community, reiterating that the Minister’s latest decision violates people’s right to freedom of opinion and expression and their freedom to peaceful assembly.
Consequently, following the European Union’s commitment to combat discrimination and “ensure that LGBTIQ rights are upheld in partner countries” in its LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 and its Action plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024, CLDH and Euromed Rights requested Isabel Santos’ support in: (1) Receiving information regarding what EU institutions, most notably the EU delegation in Beirut, have done or will do to protect LGBTQI+ rights, especially in light of the Interior Ministry’s order, and (2) Pressuring the European Commission to ensure that any financial assistance sent to the Lebanese state is not utilized to further harm the LGBTQI+ community.