Zimbabwe: Calls to repeal law on HIV transmission and non-disclosure as it is not supported by scientific evidence

Repeal law on transmission of HIV

HARARE – There are calls to repeal a law that imposes criminal penalties on people who know they have HIV and engage in behaviours that might transmit the virus to others, without disclosing their status.

Deputy director HIV/Aids and STIs in the Health and Child Care ministry, Tsitsi Apollo, told delegates this week at a Symposium on HIV and Law organised by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and National Aids Council that Section 79 (1) of the Criminal Codification and Reform Act on deliberate transmission of HIV presents a barrier towards the country’s goal of reaching the 1st 90 by end of 2020.

She was referring to an ambitious goal set by UNAiDS, the UN agency dealing with the disease, to tackle the epidemic by 2020 by having 90 percent of people with HIV to know their status, 90 percent of diagnosed people to be on treatment, and 90 percent of those on treatment to have suppressed levels of the virus in their bodies.

“The law should be repealed as it violates the rights of recipients of care. The law should be grounded with scientific evidence to facilitate justice delivery” Apollo said.

She said the law draws conclusions on deliberate HIV transmission from the fact that one is on ARVs – a direct contradiction of science. “It is difficult to ascertain direction of HIV transmission. Phylogenic analysis of virus samples from defendant and complainant is pre-requisite. It is difficult to exclude other possible sources of infection, even with evidence of a negative status at start of relationship…”

Published in Daily News on December 1, 2018

Canada: New directive to limit unjust prosecutions against people living with HIV to be issued by Attorney General of Canada

OTTAWA, Dec. 1, 2018 /CNW/ – The Government of Canada is committed to a fair, responsive and effective criminal justice system that protects Canadians, holds offenders to account, supports vulnerable people, and respects the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Today, on the 30^th anniversary of World AIDS Day, the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced that she will issue a directive related to the prosecution of HIV non-disclosure cases under the federal jurisdiction of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.

In issuing the Directive, the Government of Canada recognizes the over-criminalization of HIV non-disclosure discourages many individuals from being tested and seeking treatment, and further stigmatizes those living with HIV or AIDS.

This Directive is a real step toward ensuring an appropriate and evidence-based criminal justice system response to cases of HIV non-disclosure. In so doing, it will harmonize federal prosecutorial practices with the scientific evidence on risks of sexual transmission of HIV while recognizing that non-disclosure of HIV is first and foremost a public health matter.

On December 1, 2016, Minister Wilson-Raybould committed to working with her provincial and territorial counterparts, affected communities, and medical professionals to examine the criminal justice system’s response to non-disclosure of HIV status. A year later, on December 1, 2017, the Department of Justice issued its report, The Criminal Justice System’s Response to Non-Disclosure of HIV. The Directive will draw upon the recommendations made concerning prosecutorial discretion. It will provide guidance to federal prosecutors in the three territories, ensuring coherent and consistent prosecution practices.

In its 2012 Mabior decision, the Supreme Court of Canada made it clear that persons living with HIV must disclose their HIV status prior to engaging in sexual activity that poses a “realistic possibility of transmission”; and the most recent scientific evidence on the risks of sexual transmission of HIV should inform this test.

The Directive to be issued by the Attorney General of Canada will reflect the most recent scientific evidence related to the risks of sexual transmission of HIV, as reviewed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as the applicable criminal law as clarified by the Supreme Court of Canada. The Directive will state that, in HIV non-disclosure cases, the Director:

shall not prosecute where the person living with HIV has maintained a suppressed viral load (i.e. under 200 copies of the virus per millilitre of blood) because there is no realistic possibility of transmission;
shall generally not prosecute where the person has not maintained a suppressed viral load but used condoms or engaged only in oral sex or was taking treatment as prescribed unless other risk factors are present, because there is likely no realistic possibility of transmission in such cases;
shall prosecute using non-sexual criminal offences instead of sexual offences where this would better align with the individual’s situation, such as cases where the individual’s conduct was less blameworthy; and
must take into account whether a person living with HIV has sought or received services from public health authorities, in order to determine whether it is in the public interest to pursue criminal charges.

The criminal law will continue to apply to persons living with HIV if they do not disclose, or misrepresent, their HIV status before sexual activity that poses a realistic possibility of HIV transmission.

The Director of Public Prosecutions Act requires that directives from the Attorney General of Canada be published in the Canada Gazette. The Directive will take effect upon publication in Part I of the Canada Gazette on Saturday, December 8, 2018.

Quote

“Our criminal justice system must be responsive to current knowledge, including the most recent medical science on HIV transmission. I am proud of this important step forward in reducing the stigmatization of Canadians living with HIV while demonstrating how a scientific, evidence-based approach can help our criminal justice system remain fair, responsive and effective.”

The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, P.C., Q.C., M.P.

Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Quick Facts

World AIDS Day originated at the 1988 World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention. It is marked on December 1 of every year. This year’s theme is “Know your status”.
Canada’s efforts to detect and treat HIV have resulted in the majority of persons living with HIV in Canada knowing their status and receiving appropriate treatment.
There is no HIV-specific offence in the Criminal Code. However, persons living with HIV who do not disclose their status may be charged with aggravated sexual assault because the non-disclosure is found to invalidate their partner’s consent to engage in sexual activity in certain circumstances. This is the most serious sexual offence in the Criminal Code.
The Directive will take into consideration current scientific evidence and research on HIV transmission. It will provide clear direction to federal prosecutors in the territories when exercising their discretion to decide whether to prosecute HIV non-disclosure cases. The research supporting the development of the Directive was compiled by the Public Health Agency of Canada, informed the Department of Justice Canada’s Report on the Criminal Justice System’s Response to Non-Disclosure of HIV, and was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The Directive is the result of significant engagement and consultation with LGBTQ2+ advocates, including the HIV/AIDS Legal Network, leading academics in the field, health professionals, as well as the Director of Public Prosecutions.

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SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

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Uganda: New efforts underway in Uganda to challenge HIV legislation, especially its provisions on the disclosure of HIV status

Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME | Rosemary Namubiru, a nurse, was in 2014 sentenced to three years in jail for criminal negligence over what seemed a potential infection of a baby with HIV the virus that causes AIDS. Her crime was that as an HIV positive nurse, she placed the life of a baby in danger when she pricked herself with an injection she was administering.

In her defence, Namubiru said she pricked herself accidentally as sometimes happens among medical workers. But her pleas were cast aside as police and swarms of media cameras swooped on her. Test results for HIV infection on the baby were negative but Namubiru still served her sentence.

When she was released after one year of her sentence, she reportedly got threats to harm her from her neighbours and had to travel to the countryside and stay away from her home in Kampala for several months for her safety.

Although Namubiru was not charged under the HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Act 2014, her case was widely discussed recently at a symposium organised for journalists by Uganda Network on Law, Ethics and HIV/AIDS (UGANET) meant to discuss better ways for which the media can report about the law. The symposium was held at Imperial Golf View Hotel in Entebbe.

UGANET has already challenged the law in the Constitutional Court but they say the symposium with journalists on Nov.6 and 7 was necessary to carry out more media sensitisation on the law. They said they have faced an uphill battle challenging the law; especially its provisions on disclosure of HIV status.

“The vagueness of some provisions of the law has caused many arrests,” says Dora Musinguzi, the Executive Director of UGANET.

Some of the contentious provisions of the law include Article 18 (2) (d) where the results of an HIV test may be disclosed or released to “a medical practitioner or other qualified officer who is directly involved in the treatment or counselling of that person, where the HIV status is clinically relevant.”

Musinguzi says this is “too wide a window” for the medical officer to operate in. The other provisions of the law are those that criminalise “attempted transmission of HIV” and “intentional transmission of HIV”. The argument against this provision is that it interferes with medical ethics and the doctor patient relationship. She added that criminalisation of HIV positive persons fuels discrimination as happened in the case of Namubiru.

Members of UGANET were unhappy with the way journalists covered Namubiru’s arrest. The general feeling was that the media led the public trial and conviction of Namubiru.

Government is fighting people with HIV

Beatrice Were is the embodiment of living positively with HIV; the virus that causes AIDS. She was a young woman when she discovered she was HIV positive in 1991. Two years later, she lost her husband and thought her world had ended. She even wrote a will. But thanks to a support environment, she took on a new turn as an HIV activist. Over the years, she has spoken at various forums both in Uganda and abroad.

However a few years ago, Were said at the symposium, she started worrying not because of the deadly virus but due to the HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control law. She said it has hindered some of her dreams.

“I love children and have always wanted to start a kindergarten but that law may kill the business,” she said and is worried of Article 18 (2) (e) in the HIV law which states that results of an HIV status may be disclosed to “any other person with whom an HIV infected person is in close or continuous contact including a sexual partner, if the nature of contact, in the opinion of the medical practitioner or other qualified officer, poses a clear and present danger of HIV transmission to that person.”

This means that a doctor can disclose the status of someone living with HIV to friends, workmates depending on the doctor’s assessment of the closeness. This possibility is something that alarms activists like Were.

She says the law ignores the high level of stigma attached to HIV/AIDS sufferers in Uganda and the caution required when disclosing a positive status.

She says, for example, she cannot start a kindergarten for fear of the law because a medical practitioner might disclose her status to children under her care and frighten some of them even if she poses no danger to them.

“I feel like the government is fighting people with HIV,” she says.

She says the proposed law is the latest sign that the government is making lots of steps backwards since the 1990s when it was regularly praised for its progressive policies on HIV/AIDS.

Were and other members of UGANET say the government largely ignored their views as the law was being made despite efforts to make their contribution.

HIV activists say that with the law in its current form, fewer people will be willing to come out on their status given the current environment.

“When the law is not there, you see a lot of Beatrices (Were) and less of Namubirus,” Musinguzi remarked.

Members of UGANET also oppose mandatory testing for HIV, citing mainly cases of partners of pregnant women.

“While some of these laws are well intentioned, mandatory testing laws are regressive,” says a lawyer who did not want to be named. “They drive people away from health facilities for HIV prevention and counselling,” she added.

Were says she is concerned about those who unlike her may fear disclosing their status and withdraw further due to the current legal regime.

“The law is a toxin in the environment of HIV where we have invested so much in the fight,” she said.

Activists selfish?

But Dr Medard Bitekyerezo, the chairman of the National Drug Authority and who was key in the composition of the law when he was a Member of Parliament for Mbarara Municipality says those who are against this law are being ‘’selfish’’.

“What happens when someone who smokes marijuana rapes your 12-year old daughter and infects her? Of course you test her and also this person to protect other people from him,” he explains.

Bitekyerezo says in the process of making this law, he and other MPs made serious consultations where a number of case scenarios were drawn up. “We are not traumatising or criminalising anybody. What is wrong with somebody knowing their status and then putting a safeguard? Let them not be selfish.”

He tells The Independent that part of the information that was used during the making of the law was gathered when he was chairman of Board of Trustees AIDS Information Centre (AIC).

On the charge of criminalisation, he says not everybody with HIV is bad-hearted. “There are some people who have HIV and behave more responsibly than those who are negative,” he adds that some of those who are positive are living safer lives.

Bitekyerezo who says he spent a lot of time in Mbarara treating HIV positive people says some of the clauses in the law have been misinterpreted. “There is no doctor who is going to disclose anyone’s status. He says the law is meant to help people who may be positive but have negative partners and are looking to conceal their status from the negative one.

“Activists don’t want to help people. The message to doctors and nurses is simple- safeguard the people in your hands, protect them from HIV.”

Outside the air-conditioned conference rooms of the luxurious Imperial Golf View Hotel, as those for and against argue and face off in courts of law, the media must now find new ways to cover contentious cases of HIV positive persons like Namubiru who get caught under a disputed HIV law.

Published in the World News on November 20, 2018

Australia: Community advocates call for decriminalisation of HIV and an implementation of U=U education campaign to remove stigma

Calls for review of Western Australia’s HIV Laws

Community advocates are calling for a review of Western Australian legislation relating to HIV, and criminalisation.

Grassroots organisation HIV Institute of WA have issued an open letter to Attorney General John Quigley, highlighting the relationship between HIV criminalisation and stigma faced by people living with HIV and the importance of the U=U (Undetectable = Untransmissible) campaign.

The letter, signed by spokesperson Neil Buckley, also notes the recent fake email sent to voters of Wentworth, suggesting candidate Dr Kerryn Phelps had withdrawn from the race after having been diagnosed with HIV.

“The stigma in our own backyard needs addressing, implementing the U=U education campaign in the wider community would be a start to decriminalizing HIV and removing stigma which is a barrier to testing treatments.”

The group also raise concerns about the ambiguity in the phrasing of the current Western Australian Health Act. Currently the Act states that “a person who has a notifiable infection disease must take all reasonable precautions to ensure that others are not unknowingly placed at risk of contracting the disease.”

“What exactly constitutes reasonable practices is unclear and currently left up to the courts to decide,” the letter reads.

“Today, those with an undetectable viral load are believed to be un-infectious yet no court in Australia has ruled that this satisfies the reasonable precautions test. This ambiguity is concerning and can leave many unclear on whether they could face criminal charges.”

“While no criminal laws in Western Australia target HIV specifically, it can be prosecuted under assault-based offenses, which carry multi-year prison sentences.”

“While usually only applied to individuals that intentionally transmit HIV, it can be used against those that are only deemed negligent in their exposure.” the group highlight.

OIP Staff

Published in Out in Perth on November 12, 2018

US: Michigan Bills that would change criminal penalties around HIV disclosure and transmission still being worked on

Bills dealing with criminal penalties surrounding HIV still in committee

Lawmakers in Lansing are still deciding whether to change criminal penalties surrounding disclosing one’s HIV status.

The state House recently passed a group of bills aimed at modernizing the state’s policy on HIV.

But two bills that were originally part of the package are still in committee. Those would lower criminal penalties for people who knowingly and intentionally spread HIV to another person. Right now, it’s a felony to do that.

Representative Hank Vaupel (R-Fowlerville) is chair of the committee that still has the legislation. He says the bills are being worked on – but they weren’t ready for a vote last week.

“Hopefully we can come to a point where we will be able to pass them out and they will not endanger people, and yet will not put someone in jail if they didn’t know and didn’t disclose,” he says.

Supporters of the bill say the current penalties are a disincentive for people to get tested.

Representative Jon Hoadley (D-Kalamazoo) is a bill sponsor. He says some people don’t get tested because of this law.

“As we expand testing opportunities and treatment opportunities, we should take the threat of felony imprisonment off the backs of folks who are keeping themselves healthy and their communities safe,” he says.

Belarus: Roundtable attended by representatives of state and international organisations discuss possible amendments to the criminal code in cases of HIV transmissions

Roundtable on the decriminalization of HIV transmission in couples.

(Google translation, for original article in Russian, please scroll down)

During the autumn session in the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, the draft Law of the Republic of Belarus “On Amending Certain Codes of the Republic of Belarus” will be considered in the second reading. In mid-October, a hearing on the amendment to art. 157 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, which was proposed for consideration by the Deputy Commissioner for Health, Physical Culture, Family and Youth Policy – Olga Viktorovna Mychko.

The text of the amendment – “The person who committed the acts provided for in part 1 and part 2 of this article shall be released from criminal responsibility if another person who is at risk of infection or is infected with HIV has been promptly warned about the presence of the first disease and voluntarily agreed to take actions that created the danger of infection or led to HIV infection ”

October 3, 2018, as the initiator of changes in legislation that criminalizes HIV, with the support of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus organized and held a roundtable: “Decriminalizing HIV transmission in couples” in order to strengthen the arguments presented, or find new ones for those government structures that are against amending or imposing additional requirements that need to be worked out.

In his speech, the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the House of Representatives on National Security, Valentin Vladimirovich Mikhnevich, spoke about the replies received in their Commission to the request for an amendment to Art. 157.

The Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus – it is necessary to work out what to consider “put on notice of the presence of HIV” (consent in writing and with an explanation).

The General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Belarus is against.

MIA is neutral.

Investigative Committee – supported.

The KGB is neutral.

Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus – supported.

Ministry of Health of Belarus – supports.

The main subject of discussion of the meeting were possible alternatives to the amendment (the version proposed initially recognized as the most efficient), and an important issue was discussed – how can a partner be informed about HIV if it is legally confirmed, and on the other hand does not become negative factor for people living with HIV.

The expert evaluation of the proposals received at the event was made by Bronnikov Andrei Sergeevich – the head of the department for the preparation of bills and interaction with the Standing Committee of the House of Representatives on National Security, as well as Drobkov Anton Viktorovich – Chief Adviser of the Office of Legislation, National Security and Law Enforcement of the Republic of Belarus.

The roundtable was attended by representatives of state and international organizations – Tatiana Fedorovna Migal (Ministry of Health RB), Vyacheslav Ivanovich Gran’kov (WHO), Sergeenko Svetlana Vladimirovna (RCH & E), Elena Geraldovna Fisenko (RSPC MT).

Speakers expertly informed about the achievements of modern medicine in the field of HIV, both in the country and in the world, about the epidemiological situation in the country, as well as about the expert consensus on scientific evidence about HIV infection in the text of criminal law.

Representatives of our organization – Tatiana Zhuravskaya and Anatoly Leshenok made a presentation – “Review of the current situation of application of Art. 157 of the Criminal Code “Infection of HIV”. About the urgency of changing the responsibility for HIV transmission. ”

Modified proposals will be used during the Parliamentary hearings, which will be held in literally 10 days. Representatives of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus, the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Investigative Committee, the KGB, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, as well as a representative of the People’s PLUS NGO will be invited to the hearing.

Many thanks to all those who took part in the Round Table, leading to Alexander Tsekhanovich, people who decided to come and tell their stories of suffering due to the action of art. 157 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus – Julia, Lena, Sasha, Slava – THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Published on October 4, 2018 on People Plus website

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Круглый стол о декриминализации передачи ВИЧ в семейных парах.

В течение осенней сессии в Палате Представителей Национального Собрания РБ будет рассматриваться во втором чтении проект Закона Республики Беларусь «Об изменении некоторых кодексов Республики Беларусь». На середину октября в Постоянной комиссии Палаты представителей по национальной безопасности запланированы слушания по поправке в ст. 157 УК РБ, которую предложила к рассмотрению Депутат Комиссии по здравоохранению, физической культуре, семейной и молодежной политике – Ольга Викторовна Мычко.

Текст поправки – «Лицо, совершившее деяния, предусмотренные ч. 1 и ч. 2 настоящей статьи, освобождается от уголовной ответственности в случае, если другое лицо, поставленное в опасность заражения либо зараженное ВИЧ-инфекцией, было своевременно предупреждено о наличии у первого этой болезни и добровольно согласилось совершить действия, создавшие опасность заражения или приведшие к заражению ВИЧ»

3 октября 2018 года, РОО «Люди ПЛЮС», как инициатор изменений в законодательство, которое криминализирует ВИЧ, при поддержке Министерства Здравоохранения РБ организовали и провели Круглый стол: «Декриминализация передачи ВИЧ в семейных парах» для того, что бы усилить предъявленные аргументы, или найти новые для тех структур государственной власти, которые выступают против внесения поправки или предъявляют дополнительные требования, которые требуется проработать.

В своём выступлении Председатель Постоянной комиссии Палаты представителей по национальной безопасности Валентин Владимирович Михневич рассказал о том, какие ответы поступили в их Комиссию на запрос о внесении поправки в ст. 157.

Верховный Суд РБ – нужно проработать, что считать «поставлен в известность о наличии ВИЧ» (согласие письменно и с разъяснением).

Генеральная Прокуратура РБ – против.

МВД – нейтрально.

Следственный комитет – поддержал.

КГБ – нейтрально.

Министерство Юстиции РБ – поддержало.

Министерство здравоохранения РБ – поддерживает.

Основным предметом дискуссии встречи стали возможные альтернативные варианты поправке (версия предложенная изначально признана наиболее работоспособной), а также обсуждался важный вопрос – как может быть реализовано информирование партнёра о наличии ВИЧ так, чтобы это было подтверждено законодательно, и с другой стороны не стало каким-либо негативным фактором, для людей, живущих с ВИЧ.

Экспертную оценку поступающим предложениям на мероприятии делали – Бронников Андрей Сергеевич — заведующий отделом по подготовке законопроектов и взаимодействию с Постоянной комиссией Палаты представителей по национальной безопасности, а так же Дробков Антон Викторович – Главный советник Управления законодательства, национальной безопасности и правоохранительной деятельности Национального центра законодательства и правовых исследований Республики Беларусь.

В работе Круглого стола принимали участие представители государственных и международных организаций – Татьяна Фёдоровна Мигаль (Министерство Здравоохранения РБ), Вячеслав Иванович Граньков (ВОЗ), Сергеенко Светлана Владимировна (РЦГ иЭ), Елена Геральдовна Фисенко (РНПЦ МТ).

Выступающие экспертно информировали о достижениях современной медицины в сфере ВИЧ, как в стране, так и в мире, об эпидемиологической ситуации в стране, а так же об экспертном консенсусе в отношении научных данных о ВИЧ – инфекции в контексте уголовного права.

Представители нашей организации – Татьяна Журавская и Анатолий Лешенок выступили с докладом – «Обзор текущей ситуации применения ст. 157 УК РБ «Заражение ВИЧ». Об актуальности изменения ответственности за передачу ВИЧ»».

Доработанные предложения будут использованы во время Парламентских слушаний, которые состоятся уже буквально через 10 дней. На слушания будут приглашены представители Верховного Суда РБ, Генеральной Прокуратуры РБ, МВД , Следственного комитета, КГБ, Министерства Юстиции РБ, Министерство здравоохранения РБ, а также представитель РОО «Люди ПЛЮС».

Огромное спасибо всем принявшим участие а Круглом столе , ведущему – Александру Цехановичу, людям, которые решились прийти и сквозь слёзы рассказать истории своих страданий из-за действия ст. 157 УК РБ – Юля, Лена, Саша, Слава – огромное Вам СПАСИБО!

Russia: Lower House to debate bill, not supported by its Health Committee, that proposes mandatory treatment of people living with HIV

HIV-infected people could be treated forcibly (Google translation, for article in Russian, scroll down).

In the event that HIV-infected people pose a danger to others, they are suggestions to send them to compulsory hospitalization by court decision. The corresponding bill, introduced by the Legislative Assembly of the Altai Territory, will be considered by the State Duma on September 18.

In addition, the document grants the head of the medical organization, in which the HIV-infected citizen is on dispensary records, the right to apply to the court for a mandatory examination and treatment of this person.

The explanatory note to the document states that at present the duty to receive treatment is imputed to patients with tuberculosis and mental illnesses. However, such a requirement does not apply to HIV-infected people.

At the same time, the Government submitted a negative response to the document. “The analysis of foreign experience of normative legal regulation of diagnostics and treatment of HIV-infected persons shows that the legislation of the majority of foreign states does not contain provisions on compulsory placement in a hospital,” the document says.

The State Duma Committee on Health Protection did not support the initiative. “The social danger of tuberculosis is significantly higher than that of HIV infection,” the deputies concluded. Also, the parliamentarians reminded that the examination in medical organizations is carried out voluntarily if there is consent to this procedure by the patient or his legal representative. At the request of a citizen, a voluntary medical examination may be anonymous.

“Adoption of the bill may entail a violation of the rights of HIV-infected persons to anonymity of medical examination,” representatives of the State Duma Health Committee noted.

Published in Parliamentary Newspaper on September 18, 2018

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ВИЧ-инфицированных предложено лечить принудительно

В том случае, если ВИЧ-инфицированные предоставляют опасность для окружающих, их предложено отправлять на принудительную госпитализацию по решению суда. Соответствующий законопроект, внесённый Заксобранием Алтайского края, Госдума планирует рассмотреть 18 сентября.

Кроме того, документ наделяет руководителя медицинской организации, в которой ВИЧ-инфицированный гражданин состоит на диспансерном учёте, правом обратиться в суд с иском об обязательном обследовании и лечении этого человека.

В пояснительной записке к документу указано, что в настоящее время обязанность проходить лечение вменена больным туберкулёзом и психическими заболеваниями. Однако на ВИЧ-инфицированных подобное требование не распространяется.

В то же время Правительство предоставило на документ отрицательный отзыв. «Анализ зарубежного опыта нормативного правового регулирования вопросов диагностики и лечения ВИЧ-инфицированных свидетельствует о том, что законодательство большинства иностранных государств не содержит положений о принудительном помещении в стационар», — указано в документе.

Не поддержал инициативу и Комитет Госдумы по охране здоровью. «Социальная опасность туберкулеза значительно выше, чем ВИЧ-инфекции», — указано в заключении депутатов. Также парламентарии напомнили, что освидетельствование в медицинских организациях проводится добровольно при наличии согласия на эту процедуру со стороны пациента или его законного представителя. По желанию гражданина добровольное медицинское освидетельствование может быть анонимным.

«Принятие законопроекта может повлечь нарушение прав ВИЧ-инфицированных лиц на анонимность медицинского освидетельствования», — отметили представители Комитета Госдумы по охране здоровья.

Argentina: Regional Parliament in Mendoza to vote on law reform including 30 days jail sentence for HIV transmission

Debate in Mendoza to send people who “transmit HIV”to prison (Google translation. For original article in Spanish, scroll below).

The provincial Chamber of Deputies deals with the reform of the Contraventional Code, where a penalty of up to 30 days in jail is assessed.

I am afraid that the police will take me prisoner because of my illness,” says Sergio Ramírez (27). He has HIV and is the national coordinator of the Argentine Network of Positive Young People and Adolescents (RAJAP), an organization with a presence in all the provinces that accompanies people with the AIDS virus.

The young Mendoza refers to the reform of the Contraventional Code that the Chamber of Deputies of Mendoza will vote on tomorrow -with half Senate sanction-, where his article 126 establishes up to 30 days in prison or the payment of a fine of $ 3000 for “the person that transmits a venereal or contagious disease “and an immediate hospitalization to do the medical studies.

The Code of Fouls in force in Mendoza is from 1965. Therefore, the current governor of the province, Alfredo Cornejo , presented in March a new code that, among its modifications, condemns social protesters with 3 days in jail and $ 9500 or 10 days of prison to the “rags” that do not have legal authorization, among others. “Tomorrow we will meet with different organizations from 8 o’clock to ask that the Contraventional Code not be sanctioned,” Ramírez said about the protest called for the start of the parliamentary session.

In addition, the president of the civil association Everyday Women, María Laura Chazarreta, today presented a letter in Deputies demanding the elimination of article 126 because the national AIDS law (23.798) prohibits compulsive HIV tests .

“To proceed, a complaint is made or a police officer intervenes. Then, it communicates with the judge of faults so that the contravencional process continues, explains Jorge Albarracín, deputy who presides over the commission of Legislation and Constitutional Affairs, to PROFILE . “If an amicable agreement is reached between the parties, the case is filed. But if you can not and the responsibility of the offender is proven, the sanctions begin, “says the radical legislator who, in response to the question of how these faults could be proven in the new Code, says that it will be the responsibility of the judge to carry out the investigation.

In this sense, Ramírez says that “most of the articles do not need proof and they leave it to the authority that is going to work the contravention, which is the same policeman who asks for bribes to the sex workers of the province.” ” This legislation only serves to criminalize a disease such as HIV, ” says Ramírez, who says that in Mendoza there are more than 4000 people carrying the virus.

Albarracín does not believe that HIV will be criminalized, because “the idea is to apply the regulations to people who, knowing the problem, infect another person”. However, it does not rule out the possibility of police abuses by article 126.

Finally, Albarracín says that “if the opposition gives the quorum , there will be a long session.” “But if we achieve our own quorum, the Code will be approved in a short time,” says the legislator of Cambiemos on the Contraventional Code that, if it receives modifications, will be treated again in the Senate.

Published in Perfil on September 13, 2018

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Debaten en Mendoza enviar a prisión a personas que “transmitan VIH”

La Cámara de Diputados provincial trata la reforma al Código Contravencial en donde se evalúa una penalización de hasta 30 días en la cárcel.

Tengo miedo que la policía me lleve preso por mi enfermedad”, dice Sergio Ramírez (27) que tiene HIV y es coordinador nacional de la Red Argentina de Jóvenes y Adolescentes Positivos (RAJAP), una organización con presencia en todas las provincias y que acompaña a las personas con el virus del Sida.

El joven mendocino se refiere a la reforma del Código Contravencional que la cámara de Diputados de Mendoza votará mañana –con media sanción del Senado-, donde su artículo 126 establece hasta 30 días de prisión o el pago de una multa de $3000 para “la persona que transmitiere una enfermedad venérea o contagiosa” y una hospitalización inmediata para hacer los estudios médicos.

El Código de Faltas vigente en Mendoza es del año 1965. Por eso, el actual gobernador de la provincia, Alfredo Cornejo, presentó en marzo un nuevo código que, entre sus modificaciones, condena las protestas sociales con 3 días de cárcel y $9500 o 10 días de prisión a los “trapitos” que no tengan autorización legal, entre otras. “Mañana vamos a reunirnos con diferentes organizaciones desde las 8 para pedir que no se sancione el Código Contravencional”, adelanta Ramírez sobre la protesta convocada para el comienzo de la sesión parlamentaria.

Además, la presidenta de la asociación civil Mujeres Cotidianas, María Laura Chazarreta, presentó hoy una carta en Diputados donde exige la eliminación delartículo 126 porque la ley nacional de sida (23.798) prohíbe los exámenes de VIH compulsivos.

“Para proceder se hace una denuncia o interviene un agente de policía. Luego, se comunica con el juez de faltas para que continúe el proceso contravencional”, le explica a PERFIL Jorge Albarracín, diputado que preside la comisión de Legislación y Asuntos Constitucional. “Si se llega a un acuerdo amistoso entre las partes, la causa se archiva. Pero si no se puede y se demuestra la responsabilidad del infractor, empiezan las sanciones”, detalla el legislador radical que, ante la pregunta sobre cómo podrían probarse estas faltas al nuevo Código, dice que será competencia del juez que lleve adelante la investigación.

En este sentido, Ramírez dice que “la mayoría de los artículos no necesitan pruebas y lo dejan librado a la autoridad que va a labrar la contravención, que es la misma policía que le pide coimas a las trabajadoras sexuales de la provincia”. “Esta legislación solo sirve para criminalizar una enfermedad como el VIH”, sostiene Ramírez que cuenta que en Mendoza hay más de 4000 personas portadoras del virus.

Albarracín no cree que se vaya a criminalizar al VIH, porque “la idea es aplicar la normativa a las personas que, conociendo el problema, contagian a otro”. Sin embargo, no descarta que se produzcan abusos policiales por el artículo 126.

Por último, Albarracín adelanta que “si la oposición da el quorum, habrá una sesión larga”. “Pero si logramos quorum propio, el Código estará aprobado en poco tiempo”, afirma el legislador de Cambiemos sobre el Código Contravencional que, si recibe modificaciones, volverá a ser tratado en el Senado.

China: Members of National People's Congress call for laws to punish people living with HIV for HIV non-disclosure

NPC Members Call For Criminalization Of HIV Non-Disclosure

Several members of China’s National People’s Congress are advising the nation’s law-makers to make it a legal obligation for HIV-positive people to disclose their status under certain circumstances.

ThePaper.cn reports (in Chinese) that on August 30, in an internal congress meeting about how to prevent and control infectious diseases across the country, some members called for laws to punish people who are HIV positive but refuse to inform others of their illness, because, “when there is a conflict between an individual’s right to privacy and public interest, the latter always comes first.”

Citing a recent report that shows HIV infection rates are on a steady rise in China and in most cases the virus is transmitted through unsafe sex, some attendees expressed profound concerns about the laws being called for.

“Our country’s protection of individual privacy is very comprehensive. But because AIDS can be fatal, for HIV-positive people, there should be obligations and responsibilities for them to disclose their status on certain occasions,” said Liu Yasheng 刘亚声, an NPC member and doctor from Inner Mongolia. To give an example, Liu said that people with HIV should be candid about their illness at medical institutes in order to reduce the risk of transmission through medical practices.

In agreement with Liu, Lei Dongzhu 雷冬竹, dean at a hospital in Hunan Province, said that in the first half of this year, 16 students at a university in Inner Mongolia were diagnosed with HIV, and the majority of them were infected through unprotected sex with someone of same gender. “We put too much emphasis on protecting AID patients’ privacy, but how to draw a fine line between privacy and public interest is something worth consideration,” Lei argued.

Lawmakers have not made clear what they consider to be “certain occasions,” or how severe they think punishments should be.

According to current regulations on AIDS prevention and treatment, HIV-positive people in China are required to disclose their status to sexual partners and doctors. But at the same time, to prevent discrimination against people living with HIV, their carrier status cannot be disclosed without consent. It’s also stipulated that a person who is HIV positive and knowingly infects others with the virus could be found criminally liable, though such prosecutions are very rare.

Last year, a young man in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, filed a lawsuit against a hospital which gave his then-fiancée a false negative HIV test result during their premarital health check and demanded a compensation of 120,000 yuan ($18,000). The court ruled in favor of the defendant, saying that was no direct connection between his marriage decision and the mistake of the hospital.

Published in SupChina on September 4, 2018

Nepal: New law introduces jail sentences and fines for HIV and hepatitis transmission

Kathmandu, August 15

The Civil Code Act and Criminal Code Act, which intend to herald sweeping reforms in Nepal’s legal system, will come into force on Friday.

These two codes will govern the conduct of everybody – rich and poor, alike – replacing the 55-year-old General Code.

Lawmaker Radhe Shyam Adhikari, who was involved in drafting the two laws, said they had incorporated modern concepts and principles of laws and had also accepted extra territorial jurisdiction on some issues.

“These laws are as important as the constitution and in some cases even more than the constitution because they touch upon the lives of every citizen,” he added.

The civil code has incorporated provisions of private intentional law for the first time stating, among other things, that if a divorce between Nepali citizens and between a Nepali citizen and a foreigner takes place in a foreign country, then it can get legal validity in Nepal if the divorce process is based on the laws of that particular country.

It gives a divorced woman the right to use the property she will receive from her former husband even if she remarries, which is not the case under the existing law. The new law also allows a woman the right to use her father’s surname, the surname of her mother or husband or both surnames.

It has provisions relating to usufruct, whereby a person can give his/her property to somebody who can use it as his/her own property but cannot change the substance of the property without the consent of the owner.

The new law stipulates that an owner of an animal will be held responsible if the animal inflicts harm to others.

It gives extraterritorial jurisdiction to courts whereby if a crime is committed against a ship registered in Nepal then the courts can try the accused if s/he is found within Nepal.

It stipulates that the punishment of offenders who are sentenced to jail for one year or less can be suspended if the court deems it appropriate to do so.

The new penal code sets the duration of life term up to 25 years.

There is provision of plea bargain — a theory widely used in the American criminal justice system — as a general rule for the first time in Nepal’s criminal justice system. An accused can get punishment waiver of up to 50 per cent if s/he confesses to her/his crimes and also spills the beans on other offenders or the main offender or the organised group involved in the crime.

The court will conduct hearing on the quantum of punishment within a month after the crime is determined. Penal code also stipulates that aggravating and mitigating circumstances/factors should be taken into account in sentencing.

Punishments

Life term for aggravated murder (such as killing somebody after hijacking or exploding a plane), genocide, poisoning death, murder and aggravated rape and genocide
Jail sentence not exceeding seven years and a fine not exceeding Rs 70,000 for raising arms against a friendly country of Nepal or issuing a war threat, or making attempts of war or rebellion against a friendly country
Jail term not exceeding 10 years and a fine not exceeding Rs 100,000 for transmitting HIV and Hepatitis B to anybody
Jail term not exceeding five years and a fine not exceeding Rs 50,000 for producing, selling and exporting adulterated or substandard food and beverage
Jail term not exceeding three months and a fine not exceeding Rs 5,000 for scribbling or writing on banknotes
Jail term up to three months and a fine up to Rs 5,000 for animal and bird cruelty

Published in the Himalayan Times on August 15, 2018

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