Kenya: Five people living with HIV file petition at the High Court in Nairobi to declare HIV criminalisation law unconstitutional

Overturn law criminalising deliberate transmission of HIV, say petitioners

Five people living with HIV have petitioned the judiciary to declare unconstitutional a law that makes it illegal to transmit the virus and other sexually transmitted infections.

The petitioners said the law makes it almost criminal for HIV-positive people to marry and for women living with the virus to give birth and raise children.

The petition targets Section 26 of the Sexual Offences Act, which criminalises intentional transmission of HIV even among married couples.

Those found guilty can be jailed a minimum 15 years or for life.

“Thousands of discordant couples and breastfeeding mothers living all over Kenya run the risk of being arrested and charged under this provision if they come forward for HIV testing,” said M.A, the fourth petitioner representing discordant couples.

The petition was filed at the High Court in Nairobi on Monday with the help of the Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV and Aids.

“The key to a successful HIV response and ending Aids is making sure everyone with HIV knows their status and gets on treatment. These laws make that impossible,” the petitioner said.

A growing global consensus amongst experts and institutions such the World Health Organisation and Unaids show that laws criminalising HIV transmission weaken the ability of governments to end the Aids epidemic.

The sexual offences Act section 26 says: “any person who, having actual knowledge that he or she is infected with HIV or any other life threatening sexually transmitted disease intentionally, knowingly and willfully transmits it… is liable upon conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less 15 years but which may be for life.”

Kelin boss Alan Maleche said this is one of the worst HIV criminalization laws in the world.

“This petition will not only safeguard the rights of those living with and affected by HIV and other sexually transmitted infections but also help alleviate the discrimination and stigma they face and help Kenya remain on track in achieving the 2020 UNAIDS Fast Track targets in ending Aids,” he said yesterday.

In 2015, the High Court declared section 24 of the HIV and Aids Prevention and Control Act unconstitutional.

The section also criminalised intentional spread of HIV, instituting a maximum jail-term of seven years with the option of a fine.

Nelson Otwoma, the Director at the National Empowerment Network of People living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya, said HIV criminalization laws are also notorious for abuse and arbitrary enforcement.

“Such abuse will always be targeted at persons living with, vulnerable to or believed to be living with HIV whether or not their actions were culpable and whether or not their actions exposed another to the risk of contracting HIV,” he said.

Published on December 13, 2018 in the Star

US: Q & A with Sen. Scott Wiener, one of the authors of Senate Bill 239 that modernised HIV criminalisation law in California

Successful HIV Criminalization Reform in California: Q and A with Sen. Scott Wiener

The majority of states have laws that criminalize activities engaged in by HIV-positive people that are not criminalized when engaged in by the rest of the population.

Many of these laws improperly single out HIV over other infectious diseases and reflect a lack of understanding of both how HIV spreads and how it can be treated.

In 2017, California passed legislation which modernized and improved California’s HIV criminalization law. One of the authors of the law was State Senator Scott Wiener. I recently had a chance to ask Sen. Wiener some questions about that process.

His responses are given here in hopes of supplying useful information for legislators, lobbyists, and activists in other states who are interested in starting the reform process in their own states or other jurisdictions around the world. This interview has been edited for clarity.

Mark Satta: You sponsored and helped author California Senate Bill 239, which in 2017 was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. Senate Bill 239 modernized HIV criminalization in California. Can you give us a brief overview of what California HIV criminalization law looked like before the passage of this new law and what the major changes are that passage of the new law brought about?

Sen. Scott Wiener: In the late 1980s and early 1990s, California, like many states, adopted very harsh felonies to punish HIV-positive people who engaged in sexual activity with other people without disclosing their HIV status.

California has a catchall misdemeanor for willfully exposing someone to an infectious disease, which has been on the books for many years. But HIV, of all the many serious, deadly infectious diseases, was singled out for especially harsh felony treatment. The laws didn’t require you to transmit HIV, and in fact didn’t even require any meaningful risk of infection. So if you were virally suppressed, for example, or if the other person was on PrEP, or if you were engaging in sexual activity that really didn’t create much of a risk, under the old laws, it didn’t matter. They were very broad, draconian laws.

There was one law specific to sex workers where there didn’t even have to be physical contact. If [a sex worker] solicited someone without telling them they were HIV-positive, even if they never actually had sex, they were guilty of a felony. The new law converts sex worker felonies into misdemeanors.

It was really women, and in particular African American women and sex workers, who were targeted. And really, the laws did nothing to actually reduce HIV infections — all it did was stigmatize people with HIV and encourage people to hide their status.

So they’re just terrible, horrible laws and that’s why we tried to reform them.

Satta: In writing the bill, what were the major sources of information that you and Assembly member Gloria consulted to determine the ways in which California’s criminalization of HIV failed to accord with our scientific and medical understanding of HIV/AIDS?

Sen. Wiener: Part of [our information was] based on data on how you reduce and eliminate HIV infections, and the whole concept of getting to zero, which I’m very familiar with. You do it by encouraging people to get tested regularly so they know their status, and then if they do test positive, they quickly go on medication to become virally suppressed. And the people who are negative have access to all preventative tools, including PrEP.

So when you criminalize and single out people with HIV, it encourages people not to get tested. Because if you don’t know your status then you can’t be guilty of a crime. It encourages people to be very secretive about their status. And being secretive about your status undermines public health. That’s not how you get people tested or into treatment. You want people to feel comfortable being very open about their status. So that was the bedrock of the science we relied on.

If our goal is to prevent HIV infections, to keep people negative, and to keep positive people healthy, we must do that through a public health approach, not through a criminalization approach. Criminalization does not reduce HIV infections — in fact, it does the opposite.

We also had plenty of data on who was being targeted by these laws. It was targeting specific demographics. So even if one were to believe that criminalization somehow reduces infection—which it doesn’t— why would almost half of arrests and prosecutions be of women when they’re only 12 percent of the HIV-positive population? We also worked extensively with a broad coalition that included many public health organizations, physicians, and people who really understand the science.

Satta: In advocating for the bill in the California state senate, what messages and information resonated most strongly with your colleagues?

Sen Wiener: It depended. When you explained about how criminalization doesn’t reduce infections, for a certain segment of colleagues, that was enough. But what really resonated with others was that HIV was being treated differently than other infectious diseases, and more harshly. I had one colleague—a moderate Democrat from a pretty conservative district—and I was not sure if we would get her vote. When I talked to her about it and told her that HIV was being treated differently, as a felony, while other infectious diseases were a misdemeanor. She said to me, “Wait, you’re telling me that Ebola and TB are a misdemeanor, but HIV is a felony, and you want to move HIV into the same category as TB and Ebola?” And I said, “Yes.” And she said, “That’s all I need to know. Whenever I’m asked about it, that’s how I’ll answer.” And she voted for the bill.

 Satta: What advice would you give activists and legislators in other states or jurisdictions who are interested in advocating for legislative reform around HIV criminalization?

Sen. Wiener: First, build a very, very strong and broad coalition. The endorsement list for SB 239 was pages long. It included every reputable civil rights organization, public health organization, LGBT organization, immigrant organization — I mean, everything. You look at these incredibly well-respected organizations ranging from the ACLU, to Planned Parenthood, to respected healthcare advocacy organizations, and even before you delve into the facts, you say, “Look: if all these groups are supporting this, this is a bill I’m supporting.” This is especially true for Democrats.

Because of that broad coalition, lobbying for the bill was incredibly impactful. As an author, that made my life a lot easier. I talked to almost every member of the legislature about the bill one-on-one over the course of the year, but having the coalition aggressively lobbying made a big difference.

Then, really talk to legislators, colleague to colleague. Lots of people have this reaction where they think that if someone is trying to infect someone, they should be guilty of a felony. But you have to talk to them about the notion of the sociopath trying to infect people. Does that happen? Yes, but it’s extremely rare, and those are not the people being prosecuted under these laws.

You also have to indicate that this is a priority for LGBT civil rights organizations. That was very powerful, too. Equality California made the bill its number one priority of the year. For a number of Democrats, this is very compelling. Democrats, in California at least, want be on the right side of LGBT issues. And even though HIV goes beyond the LGBT community, obviously, there’s an enormous overlap.

Also, educate the reporters who are going to cover potential legislative reform. What we found was that there were a couple of publications in California—the San Francisco Chronicle and the Sacramento Bee in particular—that had reporters who really got it. For a number of other publications it was more hit and miss. And even when you had a good reporter, the editors would put clickbait headlines on. So other than some really good articles in the Bee and the Chronicle, we were never able to get accurate coverage. It would always be sensationalist. The headline would be something like, “Bill Proposes Making it Not a Felony to Intentionally Infect Someone with AIDS.” The Los Angeles Times was unfortunately notorious for clickbait headlines like that, which really flamed people up. We even got to the point where we did a call in and we invited the press just to talk about the basic facts of the bill and it didn’t work. So, before you even start you need to identify the reporters likely to report on this, sit down with them, and try to educate them about the facts.

Mark Satta is a 2018-2019 Petrie-Flom Center Student Fellow. 

Published on December 11, 2018 in Bill of Health

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 30th 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.

Associated Links

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SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

For further information: media may contact: Célia Canon, Communications Advisor, Office of the Minister of Justice, 613-862-3270; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, media@justice.gc.ca

Related Links

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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.

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.