Topics: News, Politics, World News, LGBTQ
An Iranian official in charge of ‘promoting Islamic views’ has been suspended over an alleged gay sex tape.
An investigation is underway in Reza Tsaghati's conduct after being allegedly caught on film being intimate with a young man, as per LGBTQ Nation.
Tsaghati served as director-general of culture and Islamic guidance in Iran’s northern Gilan province, which enforces piety and advocates for women wearing the hijab.
However, he was forced to step down once Peyman Behboudi, the editor of the Radio Gilan Telegram, uploaded the video onto its Telegram channel.
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Behboudi added that the channel would keep exposing 'corruption among regime officials'.
According to IranWire, the video was supposedly recorded on the General Directorate of Culture and Islamic Guidance premises.
The outlet noted that Radio Gilan has always been critical of the Iranian official, describing him as an ‘opponent to provincial Governor Asadollah Abbasi’, alluding that this footage may be a strategic attempt to sabotage his political career.
The video has been suspended across all social media sites, with the government claiming they had no idea of Tsaghati’s behaviors.
However, the BBC has noted that the 'identities and the video's authenticity have not been verified'.
Iran has some of the strictest laws countries LGBTQ+ rights in the world.
The country's penal code outlines that ‘livat’ – defined under Article 233 as 'penetrative anal intercourse between men' – is punishable with the death penalty.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has executed 4,000-6,000 gays and lesbians since 1979, as per The Jerusalem Post.
Last month, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi condemned the Western world’s attitudes toward the LGBTQIA+ community.
During a visit to Uganda, the president said: “The West today is trying to promote the idea of homosexuality and by promoting homosexuality they are trying to end the generation of human beings.
He added: “The Western countries try to identify homosexuality as an index of civilization, while this is one of the dirtiest issues."
Two Iranian LGBTQIA+ activists were also sentenced to death in September of last year.
The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reported that the court found journalists Zahra Seddiqi Hamedani and Elham Choubdar guilty of ‘corruption on Earth’.
The court added that these two had promoted homosexuality, promoted Christianity and communicated with media opposed to the Islamic Republic.
The sentences are currently being appealed in Iran’s Supreme Court.
