Soutien aux organisations homosexuelles en Autriche

La Commission internationale des droits humains des Gays et Lesbiennes (IGLHRC) nous informe par le biais de l’organisation autrichienne Hosi-Wien, que depuis quelques temps, le nouveau parti d’extrême droite au pouvoir tente de trouver un moyen de détourner les mesures imposées en Autriche par l’Europe. Hosi-Wien juge cette situation dangereuse et appelle au soutien. Elle demande que vous écriviez à vos gouvernements pour demander le respect de l’Art. 209 (qui porte sur l’âge de consentement pour l’acte sexuel, homosexuel ou hétérosexuel) et la libération de toutes les personnes emprisonnées à cause de cet article (le gouvernement a enfreint la loi en augmentant les limites d’âge).
Pour plus d’info HOSI Wien's web-site www.hosiwien.at

Modèle de lettre

SERIOUS AND PERSISTENT HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN AUSTRIA NO LIFTING OF THE MEASURES AGAINST AUSTRIA WITHOUT REPEAL OF ART. 209
Dear ,
We, Austria's largest lesbian and gay human rights association, are writing again to you with regard to the serious and persistent violation of the human rights of homosexuals in Austria. As we already explained in our letter dated 4 February, to which we regrettably did not receive a reply, Austria is violating the European Human Rights Convention by upholding a higher age of consent provision for homosexual relations (18 years) than for heterosexual relations (14 years) - Article 209 of the Austrian Penal Code. Austria is ignoring both the opinion of the European Human Rights Commission, a request to repeal Article 209 issued by the UN Human Rights Committee and five resolutions adopted by the European Parliament in 1997, 1998 and 2000. Please, find the relevant details in the up-dated fact sheet enclosed.
These days there are increasing media reports about a possible move of Austria's 14 EU partners to lift their measures against Austria introduced after the entry of the FP÷ in the new government. In this context we appeal to you and your colleagues of the other 13 EU Member States to make the repeal of Article 209 and the release from prison of all people jailed under this law one of the conditions for lifting the measures.
Lifting the measures without such a condition would be a terrible signal and a slap in the face of Austria=B9s gay and lesbian population and especially of those eleven men currently imprisoned on the basis of a provision that is a breach of the European Human Rights Convention. Lifting the measures against Austria without stopping such a blatant human rights abuse would reveal your Government and your motives for imposing the measures as not credible. The public would not understand why your Government would suddenly give Austria carte-blanche for continuing her persistent and severe human rights violation. This would also be a very bad signal to the new Austrian Government composed of those two parties that, on two occasions, voted down the repeal of Article 209 in the previous Parliament. The ÷VP-FP÷ coalition would feel confirmed and strengthened in its discriminatory attitude and action against homosexuals.
When Austria joined the EU, there were no Copenhagen criteria for accession countries nor a provision such as Article 7 TEU of the Amsterdam Treaty. While the new candidate countries will have to respect all human rights, and thus will have to repeal any existing discriminatory age of consent provision before accession (see European Parliament resolutions B4-0824 and 0852/98, recital J and para. 2, and A5-0050/2000, para. 76), Austria kind of sneaked into the EU without a proper human rights check. If Austria was a candidate country today, it clearly would not meet these criteria.
We appeal again to you to not make your Government and your country an accomplice to the human rights violations in Austria and to not lift the measures against Austria before Article 209 has been lifted and all Article 209 (sexual)political prisoners of conscience have been released from prison. We have sent similar letters to your colleagues in the other 13 Member States.
We hope that the human rights of lesbians and gay men are important enough for you to act and we look forward to receiving, this time, a reply from you.
Sincerely,