WATCH HIV Justice Live! (Ep 4): How to advocate for prosecutorial guidance for HIV-related cases

The fourth episode of HIV Justice Network’s web show, HIV Justice Live! that streamed live on July 14 is now available to watch on YouTube. The episode, which our colleagues at the HIV Legal Network called a “master class in advocacy” discussed the newly launched UNDP’s Guidance for Prosecutors on HIV-related criminal cases and provided insights into how to work with prosecutorial authorities so that they have a clear understanding of how to – and more importantly how not to – use HIV criminalisation laws.

Guidance like this is a good example of a ‘harm reduction’ approach if you can’t change or repeal HIV criminalisation laws, and adopting such guidance can result in fewer miscarriages of justice, as well as improve the criminal legal system’s understand of, and approach to, people living with HIV. Once implemented it’s also a good way of holding prosecutors to account.

The Guidance was developed for UNDP by our HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE colleagues, Richard Elliott and Cécile Kazatchkine of the HIV Legal Network. The process, which took two years, involved multiple consultations. Several other colleagues, including HJN’s Executive Director Edwin J Bernard, HJN Supervisory Board member Lisa Power, and HJN Global Advisory Panel member Edwin Cameron were part of the Project Advisory Committee.

The episode, hosted by Edwin J Bernard and featuring UNDP’s Kene Esom alongside Lisa Power and Richard Elliott, also included a special edit of HJN’s documentary, “Doing HIV Justice”, which demystifies the process of how civil society worked with the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales to create the world’s first policy and guidance for prosecuting the reckless or intentional transmission of sexual infection.

The full-length, 30-minute version of this documentary is now available as part of a YouTube playlist that also features two other educational and informative videos: an introduction by the CPS’s Arwel Jones with some useful tips about how to engage with prosecutors, and a workshop that took place after the world premiere screening in Berlin, featuring Lisa Power and Catherine Murphy (who helped advocate for the implementation of guidance in England & Wales, and Scotland, respectively) as well as former UNAIDS Senior Human Rights and Law Adviser, Susan Timberlake.

HJN proudly joins the Support.Don’t Punish campaign

The HIV Justice Network is a proud supporter of the Support. Don’t Punish campaign now in its ninth year. Tomorrow, Saturday 26 June, is the campaign’s yearly high point, the Global Day of Action.

According to the campaign’s website, “Support.Don’t Punish is a global grassroots-centred initiative in support of harm reduction and drug policies that prioritise public health and human rights. The campaign seeks to put harm reduction on the political agenda by strengthening the mobilisation capacity of communities targeted by the “war on drugs” and their allies, opening dialogue with policy makers, and raising awareness among the media and the public.”

The theme for this year’s Global Day of Action is “Undoing the ‘war’, building the future that our communities have always deserved”. The date, 26th June is symbolic as it is used by most governments to commemorate the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to highlight their so-called ‘achievements’ in “the war on drugs.”

The Support. Don’t Punish campaign aligns with the following key messages:

The drug control system is broken and in need of reform.
People who use drugs should no longer be criminalised.
People involved in the drug trade should not face harsh or disproportionate punishments, where retained.
The death penalty should never be imposed for drug offences.
Drug policy should focus on health, well-being, and harm reduction.
Drug policy budgets need rebalancing to ensure health and harm reduction-based responses are adequately financed.

Last year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Global Day of Action saw 288 events in 239 participating cities in 90 countries. The activities organised were incredibly varied and involved over 150 community representatives. In twelve of the regions, networks of people who use drugs were joined by initiatives from convergent movements (including people living with HIV, sex workers, and service providers), strengthening a solidarity block against criminalisation.

This year, we urge you to join the Support.Don’t Punish Global Day of Action. Visit their homepage to check out where activities are taking place near you, and use these resources to amplify the campaign’s messages on social media, including on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Russia: Migrants are forming a “hidden epidemic” because they are afraid to seek help

Why are migrants living with HIV being deported from Russia?

Automated translation – For article in Russian, please scroll down.

Russia is one of 19 countries that deport migrants living with HIV. Migrants, in turn, prefer not to return to their homeland and remain in the country illegally. For fear of being discovered, they do not seek medical attention until they feel very sick. Experts believe that in this way migrants not only risk their health, but also exacerbate the situation with HIV in the country, writes RIA Novosti.

Where it all started

In 1995, the Law on Preventing the Spread of HIV was passed, stating that migrants who have been diagnosed with HIV should be deported. In 2015, the law was amended: it is forbidden to expel from the country foreigners whose relatives are Russian citizens.

Despite the fact that it is possible to take a status test in Russia anonymously, migrants who want to obtain citizenship or a patent in order to work officially must provide the results of an HIV test. The data is automatically sent to Rospotrebnadzor, then the relevant commission makes a decision on the “undesirability of stay”, after which the foreign citizen must leave the country within one month.

In this regard, the number of migrants who have decided to “lay low” in order not to return to their homeland is growing: many have jobs here, a stable income, families and relatives.

Hidden epidemic

In February, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova announced that there were 1.1 million people living with HIV in Russia. According to Rospotrebnadzor, migrants, who make up almost 2 million, account for more than 39,000 cases. Most of them are citizens of Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. These are only official statistics. According to Vadim Pokrovsky, with existing methods of fighting infection, the number of people living with HIV by 2030 could double.

Experts believe that migrants are forming a “hidden epidemic”: many are in the country illegally, do not accept treatment, because they are afraid to seek help. They try not to leave Russia, because they will not be allowed back because of their status.

According to Vadim Pokrovsky, under current methods of combating infection the number of people living with HIV by 2030 can grow by half.

Expert opinion

Daniil Kashnitsky, Academic Relations Coordinator of the Regional Expert Group on Migrant Health, believes that the law passed in 1995 is long out of date. Over the past few decades, drugs have been developed that allow people living with HIV to live full lives, have an undetectable viral load and have healthy babies. And because of the existing discrimination, migrants “hide” and do not have access to quality medicine. Many of them are ready to purchase treatment at their own expense, but due to being on the “unwanted list”, they cannot legally stay in Russia.

Experts from the Regional Expert Group on Migrant Health are confident that this problem can be solved by refusing deportation and reaching certain agreements with the CIS countries.

Почему из России депортируют мигрантов, живущих с ВИЧ?

Россия является одной из 19 стран, которые депортируют мигрантов, живущих с ВИЧ. Мигранты, в свою очередь, предпочитают не возвращаться на родину и остаются в стране нелегально. Из страха быть обнаруженными они не обращаются за медицинской помощью до тех пор, пока не станет совсем плохо. Специалисты считают, что таким образом мигранты не только рискуют своим здоровьем, но и усугубляют ситуацию с ВИЧ в стране, пишет РИА Новости.

Откуда все началось

В 1995 году был принят закон «О предупреждении распространения ВИЧ», сообщающий, что мигранты, у которых выявили ВИЧ, должны быть депортированы. В 2015 году закон был скорректирован: запрещено высылать из страны иностранцев, у которых родственники являются гражданами России.

Несмотря на то, что пройти тест на наличие статуса в России можно анонимно, мигранты, которые хотят получить гражданство или патент, чтобы работать официально, должны предоставить результаты анализа на ВИЧ. Данные автоматически попадают в Роспотребнадзор, затем соответствующая комиссия принимает решение о «нежелательности пребывания», после чего иностранный гражданин должен покинуть страну в течение одного месяца.

В связи с этим растет количество мигрантов, которые решили «залечь на дно», чтобы не возвращаться на родину: у многих здесь работа, стабильный доход, семьи и родственники.

Скрытая эпидемия

В феврале вице-премьер РФ Татьяна Голикова сообщила о том, что в России зафиксировано 1,1 млн людей, живущих с ВИЧ. По данным Роспотребнадзора, на мигрантов, которые составляют почти 2 млн, приходится более 39 000 случаев. Большую часть составляют граждане Таджикистана, Украины и Узбекистана. Это только официальная статистика. По словам Вадима Покровского, при существующих методах борьбы с инфекцией количество людей, живущих с ВИЧ, к 2030 году может вырасти вдвое.

Эксперты считают, что мигранты формируют «скрытую эпидемию»: многие находятся в стране нелегально, не принимают лечение, так как боятся обратиться за помощью. Они стараются не выезжать из России, потому что обратно их не пустят из-за статуса.

По словам Вадима Покровского, при существующих методах борьбы с инфекцией количество людей, живущих с ВИЧ, к 2030 году может вырасти вдвое.

Мнение экспертов

Даниил Кашницкий, координатор по академическим связям Региональной экспертной группы по здоровью мигрантов, считает, что закон, принятый в 1995 году уже давно устарел. За последние несколько десятилетий разработаны препараты, которые позволяют людям, живущим с ВИЧ, жить полноценной жизнью, иметь неопределяемую вирусную нагрузку и рожать здоровых детей. А из-за существующей дискриминации мигранты «прячутся» и не имеют доступа к качественной медицине. Многие из них готовы приобретать лечение за свой счет, но из-за попадания в «нежелательный список», они не могут легально находиться в России.

Специалисты из Региональной экспертной группы по здоровью мигрантов уверены, что эту проблему можно решить, отказавшись от депортации, и достигнув определенных договоренностей со странами СНГ.

A landmark week for HIV criminalisation

This past week has seen a huge amount of activity related to HIV and, specifically, HIV criminalisation.

Illinois is about to become only the second US state ever to completely repeal its HIV criminalisation law which has been on the books since 1989.

Meanwhile, Nevada has modernised its HIV criminalisation law, and in Michigan a county prosecutor has ordered a review of all prosecutions brought under the state’s law before it was modernised in 2019.

All of these successes were celebrated at the HIV is not a Crime Training Academy (HINAC4) that took place virtually last week and helped galvanise activists working for HIV, racial and gender justice across the US, even as there was disappointment that the High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, which took place at the same time, ended up adopting a joint Political Declaration that was lacking in global consensus, with both watered-down language on human rights and some key issues completely missing.

HIV criminalisation survivor Kerry Thomas, currently incarcerated in Idaho, speaking from prison at HINAC4. Although Kerry has been able to present by phone at previous international events, this is the first time anyone has been able to both see and hear Kerry.

Despite back and forth among the countries, with opposition from Russia, Belarus, Nicaragua, and the Syrian Arab Republic to the final draft’s progressive language, such as naming ‘key populations’, the Declaration did include language on HIV criminalisation as part of the 10-10-10 targets on societal enablers calling for member states to end all inequalities faced by people living with HIV, key and other priority populations by 2025.

Specifically, the Declaration “express[es] deep concern about stigma, discrimination, violence, and restrictive and discriminatory laws and practices that target people living with, at risk of and affected by HIV – including for non-disclosure, exposure, and transmission of HIV…” and “commit[s] to eliminating HIV-related stigma and discrimination, and to respecting, protecting and fulfilling the human rights of people living with, at risk of and affected by HIV…by creating an enabling legal environment by reviewing and reforming, as needed, restrictive legal and policy frameworks including discriminatory laws and practices that create barriers or reinforce stigma and discrimination such as … laws related to HIV non-disclosure, exposure, and transmission.”

Still, even as we celebrate some of these progressive commitments, much work needs to be done. Advocates and organisations have voiced their concerns that the watered-down Declaration may not fully commit countries to take action.

Mexico: Arrest of a man in Mexico City for allegedly hiding HIV from his partner sparks harsh criticism

Controversy in Mexico over arrest of man who hid his HIV status from his partner

Translated with www.DeepL.com. For article in Spanish, please scroll down.

The arrest in Mexico City of a man for allegedly hiding the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from his girlfriend sparked controversy on social networks and harsh criticism of the Mexico City District Attorney’s Office on Friday.

The Mexico City Attorney General’s Office reported that its agents served a warrant for the arrest of a person identified as Juan “N” for “the possible commission of the crime of danger of contagion” and transferred him to the capital’s Reclusorio Norte.

“In August 2019, the victim found, in the home of the person arrested today, medicines to treat a transmissible disease, a condition that he had not told her about, so, considering herself at risk of being infected, she filed a complaint,” the Public Prosecutor’s Office said.

The arrest provoked the rejection of users on social networks such as Eduardo Martínez, who said: “This is how the disregard for human rights of the Mexico City Public Prosecutor’s Office is made evident”.

“Now people living with HIV, even if they are on treatment and undetectable, are going to jail? How strong,” said another internet user named David.

While activist Alaín Pinzón, director of the organisation VIHve Libre, claimed that “living with HIV is not a crime” and added: “if they want to lock us up, let them do it to all of us”.

Members of his organisation also rallied in front of the headquarters of the capital’s Public Prosecutor’s Office to protest against what they saw as the criminalisation of HIV.

They painted the walls of the building with the acronym HIV and carried banners with slogans such as “My HIV does not make me a criminal”.

And they reminded people that a person with HIV who is on medication and has an undetectable viral load does not transmit the virus.

Following the controversy, the capital’s Public Prosecutor’s Office issued a statement in which it expressed “its deepest and most heartfelt respect for any person, regardless of their health condition or medical diagnosis, and in particular, for those living with HIV”.

The agency said it does not intend to “criminalise any person” and justified that it limited itself to complying with “an arrest warrant issued by a supervisory judge” and to proceed “in defence of the complainant”.

The Prosecutor’s Office was also in favour of “reviewing and modifying the legislation that discriminates against HIV status”, something that depends on the legislature.

Polémica en México por arresto de hombre que escondió a su pareja por tener VIH

La detención en Ciudad de México de un hombre por presuntamente haber ocultado a su novia tener el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) provocó este viernes polémica en redes sociales y duras críticas contra la Fiscalía capitalina.

La Fiscalía General de Justicia de la Ciudad de México informó que sus agentes cumplieron una orden judicial de detención contra una persona identificada como Juan “N” por “la posible comisión del delito de peligro de contagio” y lo trasladaron al Reclusorio Norte de la capital.

“En agosto de 2019 la agraviada encontró, en el domicilio del hoy aprehendido, medicamentos para tratar una enfermedad transmisible, padecimiento que él no le había comentado, por lo que al considerarse en riesgo de ser infectada realizó la denuncia”, detalló el Ministerio Público.

El arresto provocó el rechazo de usuarios en redes sociales como Eduardo Martínez, quien dijo: “Así es cómo se deja en evidencia el desprecio por los derechos humanos de la Fiscalía de la Ciudad de México”.

“Ahora las personas que viven con VIH aun cuando estén en tratamiento, siendo indetectables, ¿van a la cárcel? Qué fuerte”, expresó otro internauta llamado David.

Mientras que el activista Alaín Pinzón, director de la organización VIHve Libre, reivindicó que “vivir con VIH no es delito” y añadió: “si nos quieren encerrar, háganlo con todas”.

Asimismo, miembros de su organización se concentraron frente una sede de la Fiscalía capitalina para protestar contra lo que consideran la criminalización del VIH.

Pintaron las paredes del edificio con las siglas VIH y portaron pancartas con consignas como “Mi VIH no me hace un delincuente”.

Y recordaron que una persona con VIH medicada y con carga viral indetectable no transmite el virus.

Tras la polémica, el Ministerio Público de la capital emitió un comunicado en el que expresó “su más sentido y profundo respeto hacia cualquier persona, sin importar su condición de salud o diagnóstico médico, y en particular, a quienes viven con VIH”.

El organismo dijo que no pretende “criminalizar a ninguna persona” y justificó que se limitó a cumplir “una orden de aprehensión obsequiada por un juez de control” y a proceder “en defensa de la denunciante”.

Asimismo, la Fiscalía se mostró favorable a “revisar y modificar la legislación que discrimine el estatus serológico de VIH”, algo que depende del Legislativo.

A crucial new advocacy tool to challenge HIV criminalisation

A crucial new advocacy tool to challenge HIV criminalisation

This week UNDP published a crucial new tool to support our advocacy efforts in challenging HIV criminalisation.

Guidance for prosecutors on HIV-related criminal cases presents ten key principles to help prosecutors understand the complex issues involved in a prosecution involving an allegation of HIV non-disclosure, potential or perceived exposure, or transmission. It also includes key recommendations from the Global Commission, UNAIDS’ 2013 guidance for Ending overly-broad criminalisation of HIV non-disclosure, exposure, and transmission: Critical scientific, medical, and legal considerations, and the 2018 Expert Consensus Statement on the Science of HIV in the Context of Criminal Law.

These principles are:

Prosecutions should be informed at all stages by the most reliable evidence
Ensure that rights of complainant, defendant, and witnesses are respected throughout
Pursue prosecutions in only limited circumstances, as HIV most effectively addressed as a public health matter
Establish a sufficient evidentiary basis for a prosecution
Consider whether prosecution in a given case is in the public interest
Generally consent to pre-trial release, absent exceptional circumstances
Avoid arguments that could be inflammatory, prejudicial, or contribute to public misinformation about HIV
Ensure correct interpretation of science and its limitations if seeking to prove actual HIV transmission
Ensure no discrimination in sentencing
Ensure sentencing is not disproportionate

Although the Guidance is aimed specifically at prosecutors, it will be useful for lawmakers, judges, and defence lawyers

So far, very few jurisdictions have produced such guidelines. Ensuring that advocates understand why these Guidelines are an important harm reduction tool in our work towards ending HIV criminalisation, and how to advocate for them, will be a major focus of our work moving forward.

Video toolkit: How to advocate for prosecutorial guidelines. This workshop held in Berlin in September 2012, discussed the challenges associated with the creation of such guidelines, providing important insights from prosecutors and civil society alike, and included the European premiere of HJN’s documentary ‘Doing HIV Justice: Clarifying criminal law and policy through prosecutorial guidance’.

At the launch of the Guidelines earlier this week, UNDP committed to continuing to support civil society in working with law and policymakers, and the criminal legal system, towards ending HIV criminalisation as part of its ongoing follow-up work on behalf of the Global Commission on HIV and Law, which published its main report in 2012 as well as a 2018 supplement. An evaluation of the Global Commission, published this month, highlights the many ways the Global Commission has beneficially impacted HIV-related laws and policies, including galvanising the movement for HIV Justice.

Health Not Prisons Dispatch: June 2021

The Health Not Prisons Dispatch is a monthly bulletin highlighting recent developments relevant to criminalisation and policing of people living with HIV in the United States, along with upcoming events, relevant resources, and opportunities to get involved.

The June edition is available here: https://www.pwn-usa.org/issues/the-health-not-prisons-collective/health-not-prisons-dispatch/june-2021-health-not-prisons-dispatch

For more information about the coalition email Tyler Barbarin at tyler@pwn-usa.org.

HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE Steering Committee Statement: 2021 Political Declaration

KEEP THE PRESSURE ON TO ENSURE COMMUNITY-LED RESPONSES, REMOVAL OF PUNITIVE LAWS, AND EXPANDED INVESTMENTS IN SOCIETAL ENABLERS REMAIN SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS IN THE 2021 POLITICAL DECLARATION

As a global coalition campaigning to abolish criminal laws and similar policies and practices that regulate, control and punish people living with HIV in all of their diversities, because of their HIV status, we are deeply concerned about ongoing negotiations at the United Nations General Assembly on the wording of the 2021 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS.

The Political Declaration is crucial to translating into strong political commitments the approach of the Global AIDS Strategy 2021-2026 to end inequalities and close the gaps that are preventing progress towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

Areas of particular concern include ensuring that the Declaration:

Names all key populations, as well as a commitment to address the specific structural barriers that key populations face.
Commits to the removal of punitive laws, policies, and practices against people living with and impacted by HIV in all of their diversities; such a commitment needs to go beyond the absence of discrimination.
Endorses the 10-10-10 targets on societal enablers related to punitive laws, policies, and practices as well as gender-based inequalities and gender-based violence, stigma, and discrimination.
Supports community leadership in line with the 30-60-80 targets on community-led testing and treatment, societal enablers, and prevention programmes.
Commits to increase annual HIV investments in low- and middle-income countries to US$29 billion and expand investments in societal enablers to US$3.1 billion by 2025.
Commits to establish a mechanism to regularly track and review progress across all targets, including financing, and to course-correct promptly if gaps emerge.

Now more than ever, evidence-based responses and renewed political will are called for – especially in face of the additional burdens imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. If the Declaration does not specifically include all of these, then the 2021 Political Declaration will remain no more than words on paper.

The Declaration needs to build upon previous commitments towards enabling legal and policy environments for all people living with and affected by HIV. We urge all involved in this process to ensure that the Declaration does not use watered-down language and, instead, commits to action to do what we already know are the essential and necessary elements to achieve progress.

The evidence base for removing punitive laws and policies based on HIV status is comprehensive and clear. Numerous studies and meta-analyses on the impact of punitive laws on HIV responses, as included in our HIV Justice Toolkit, provide evidence that bolsters the efforts of advocates and public health experts to remove such counterproductive laws.

In particular, the publication of an Expert Consensus Statement on the science of HIV in the context of criminal law in 2018 has strengthened litigants’ and advocates’ arguments that HIV criminalisation is not grounded in science. In addition, the 2018 release of a supplement to the previous report of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law underscores the consensus of public health experts that punitive laws undermine HIV responses, cause needless suffering, and should be removed.

The 2021 High-Level meeting on HIV/AIDS – and the Political Declaration that results from it – is a crucial opportunity to create sustained momentum for the policies, programmes, and funding that are needed to end HIV as a global health threat by 2030.

Consequently, we also endorse, and want to highlight, the Civil Society Declaration for the United Nations General Assembly 2021 High-Level Meeting (HLM) on HIV/AIDS “End inequalities. End AIDS. Act now!” developed by the Multi-Stakeholder Task Force for the 2021 HLM, supported by its advisory group, and signed by over 700 organisations, networks and institutions globally.

The PJP Update – May 2021

The May 2021 edition of the Positive Justice Project newsletter is available here.

HJN commemorates the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia!

Today, May 17, is celebrated globally as the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOT).

According to the May 17 website, the day “represents a major global annual landmark to draw the attention of decision-makers, the media, the public, corporations, opinion leaders, local authorities, etc. to the alarming situation faced by people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics.”

This is a day to not only say no to violence and discrimination against LGBT+ persons but also a rallying cry to ensure equality, dignity, and full respect for human rights of all sexual and gender minorities, including all LGBT+ living with HIV.

The day was created in 2004 to draw attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by LGBT+ people and all other people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics. The date of May 17 was specifically chosen to commemorate the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.

The theme for this year is “Together: Resisting, Supporting and Healing”

At HJN, we note that HIV still disproportionately affects many in the LGBT+ community. In many regions of the world, punitive laws and practices against LGBT+ individuals continue to block effective responses to HIV. Evidence and experience have shown that punitive laws and practices drive sexual minorities away from HIV services.

Some of these punitive practices include criminalisation of same-sex relationships, ‘effeminate’ behavior, cross-dressing, sodomy, and ‘gender impersonation.’

To learn more, this Wednesday, the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Groups on HIV & AIDS; Global LGBT+ Rights; and STOPAIDS will host a virtual parliamentary event: HIV and the criminalisation of LGBT+ communities to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia.

The event will bring together leading HIV and LGBT+ community representatives from around the world. Through a panel discussion and Q&A, they’ll be exploring the barriers that LGBT+ communities face from realising their right to health and how parliamentarians and the UK Government can advance the decriminalisation of LGBT+ and HIV.

Chaired by Rt Hon David Mundell MP, panelists include:

Joel Simpson – Managing Director, Guyana’s Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD Guyana)
Simran Shaikh, Co-Founder of Rajmala Welfare Society and Director Transgender Health at John Hopkins University School of medicine
Jesse Sperling, Deputy Director, Kaleidoscope Trust
He-Jin Kim, Regional Key Populations Programme Officer, AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA)
Saoirse Fitzpatrick, Advocacy Manager, STOPAIDS

To RSVP, please email Anna Robinson at anna.robinson@parliament.uk