Replied: Meg Satterthwaite <aimlgc@igc.apc.org>


Amnesty International International Secretariat
1 Easton Street London WC1X 8DJ United Kingdom

21 DECEMBER 1993

    ROMANIA: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CALLS FOR RELEASE OF THREE
    PRISONERS OF
    CONSCIENCE IMPRISONED SOLELY FOR PRACTISING HOMOSEXUAL ACTS IN
    PRIVATE

Amnesty International today wrote to President Ion Iliescu of
Romania ntenced to up to two and a half years' imprisonment solely
for practising homosexual acts in private.

      The three men, Marius Aitai, Cosmin Hutanu and Ovidiu
Chetea, were among
57 people detained in Romanian prisons on 18 November who had been
convicted under Article 200 of the Romanian Penal Code. The three
were imprisoned under the provisions of paragraph 1 of this
article which states that "sexual intercourse between persons of
the same sex is punishable by one to five years' imprisonment".

      Marius Aitai, a 22-year-old prisoner in Gherla prison, was
sentenced in 1992 by the court in Dej to two years and six months'
imprisonment for having sexual relations with another prisoner.
Cosmin Hutanu, a 21-year-old man, was sentenced during 1993 by the
court in Focsanu to one year and two months' imprisonment and is
currently serving his sentence in Focsanu prison. Ovidiu Chetea, a
20-year-old man, was sentenced in 1993 by the court of Timisoara
to one year and six months' imprisonment. He is currently serving
his sentence in the Oradea prison.

      Amnesty International had previously explained to the
Romanian authorities that its work for the release of prisoners of
conscience includes individuals who have been imprisoned solely
because of their homosexuality - including the practice of
homosexual acts in private between freely consenting adults. The
organization had urged the Romanian authorities to take
appropriate steps for the legislative reform of Article 200 and
had stressed that it considered the provisions of paragraphs 1 and
4 of the article to contravene the European Convention for the
Protection of Fundamental Freedoms and Human Rights, which Romania
signed on 4 November 1993.

      Amnesty International considers Marius Aitai, Cosmin Hutanu
and Ovidiu Chetea to be prisoners of conscience and is calling for
their immediate and unconditional release.