Bangladesh sentences 6 militants to death for killing gay activists

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From CNN / MSN

Six members of an Islamist militant group were sentenced to death on Tuesday by a court in Bangladesh for the brutal killing of two gay rights campaigners five years ago.

The killings were part of a series of attacks on atheist bloggers, academics and other minorities that shocked the South Asian nation of 170 million and led many to go into hiding or flee abroad.

Of the eight defendants in the case, six were found guilty of murder and sentenced to death, public prosecutor Golam Sarwar Khan said.

The Special Anti-Terrorism Tribunal also convicted the six of belonging to a terrorist organization, the al Qaeda-inspired domestic militant organization Ansar Ullah Bangla Team, Khan said, a group that police believe is responsible for the murders of more than a dozen secular activists and bloggers.

The men's defense lawyer, Nazrul Islam, said they would appeal their sentences.

The tribunal acquitted two other defendants, who are on the run and were tried in absentia, Khan said. Of the six men sentenced to death, two are also on the run and were tried in absentia.

One of them is Syed Ziaul Haq, a sacked army major believed to be the group leader and accused of masterminding the killings.

Mannan's magazine, Roopbaan, had no official permission to publish in Bangladesh, a Muslim country where same-sex relationships are illegal and the LGBTQ+ community has long been marginalized.

"We are happy with the judgment. At least after a long time, we get justice," said Shahanur Islam, a gay rights campaigner.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/bangladesh-sentences-6-militants-to-death-for-killing-gay-activists/ar-AANXH9K

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Gay Games in Hong Kong face attacks as China’s proxies target LGBT groups

HONG KONG —When Hong Kong was announced in 2017 as host of the 11th Gay Games next year, the first time the event would be held in Asia, it was a nod to the city's status as a cosmopolitan place and a relative bright spot in the region for progressive causes.

Now, attacks on the Gay Games from local lawmakers aligned with Beijing are revealing bigotry in the financial hub, where space for promoting ideas such as equality and diversity has shrunk under China’s tightening control. Amid a crackdown enabled by a national security law introduced last year, the Hong Kong activists who would typically push back against such attacks are either behind bars or in exile.

Leading the crusade is Junius Ho, a pro-Beijing lawmaker who has called the Gay Games “disgraceful” and a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” that could violate the security law. Another lawmaker, Priscilla Leung, said activists could use the sports and cultural event to promote political causes. Peter Shiu, a member of a center-right party, said Hong Kong can “tolerate” but not promote homosexuality.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/gay-games-in-hong-kong-face-attacks-as-china-s-proxies-target-lgbt-groups/ar-AANVAdE