Press Release: May 28, 1993 Anti-Gay Legislation Falling Throughout Europe CYPRUS: On April 22, 1993, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Cyprus'anti-sodomy law violated the right to privacy guaranteed under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The case, known as Modinos v. Cyprus, marks the third instance in which the European Court has ruled against a member states'laws criminalizing homosexuality, following the 1981 Dudgeon v. United Kingdom ruling (against Northern IrelandUs anti-sodomy law) and the 1988 Norris v. Ireland ruling. The European Court ruled 8 to 1 in favor of Modinos'complaint, with the dissenting vote coming from the Cypriot justice. The majority opinion declared, "The existence of the prohibition [against homosexuality] continuously and directly affects the applicantUs private life. There is thus an interference." As the European Convention supersedes Cypriot law, Cyprus is now obliged to amend the applicable sections of the criminal code (Sections 171 and 173) so that homosexual relations between consenting adults in private will no longer be considered a criminal offence. RUSSIA: President Boris Yeltsin, on April 29, 1993, signed a decree that repeals Article 121.1 of the Russian criminal code which banned consensual homosexual relations between men. The decree, which introduced a variety of unrelated changes in the laws of the Russian Federation, was published in the official government newspaper, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, on May 27, 1993. Article 121 now forbids only rape and statutory rape. According to a lawyer on the Parliament Legislation Committee, the repeal means that gay men currently in prison under Art. 121.1 should be released immediately, however he also notes that no one has been appointed yet to oversee the release of those imprisoned under the former law. IRELAND: On Tuesday, May 18, 1993, the cabinet of the Republic of Ireland decided to introduce legislation to legalize sex between gay men and introduce an age of consent for gay men equal to that for heterosexuals (17 years-old). The legislation is expected to be passed through the Irish parliament within weeks. In 1988, the European Court of Human Rights ruled against IrelandUs anti-sodomy law in the case of Norris v. Ireland. The Committee of Ministers'Deputies of the Council of Europe, in November 1992, had given Ireland a final six months to comply with the courts ruling. ROMANIA: The Council of Europe postponed ruling on RomaniaUs application for membership in April 1993, noting severe concerns over several human rights issues. Explicitly included in that decision was concern over the existence and application of Article 200 of the Romanian Criminal Code, which outlaws consensual same sex relations for both men and women. There are currently over 70 individuals incarcerated throughout Romania under Article 200, many of whom have been reportedly ill treated by police authorities. A parliamentary initiative has been launched by two members of the National Salvation Front party. With RomaniaUs membership application coming before the Council of Europe again in September 1993, some members of parliament are trying to bring Romania into line with internationally accepted standards of human rights, including the repeal of their anti-sodomy law. For more information: Contact Russ Gage, IGLHRC, at 415/ 255-8680