2023 in review: A delicate balance

A DELICATE BALANCE

Working to end punitive laws and policies that impact people living with HIV is never easy, but this year has been especially hard, as we fought to maintain that delicate balance between moving forward in our advocacy and preventing the erosion of our previous gains fuelled by the anti-rights movement and the growth of right-wing populism.

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we saw an increase in the number of reported HIV-related prosecutions: 86 cases in 18 countries. This compares with 49 cases in 16 countries last year and 54 cases in 20 countries in 2021. This year, as in previous years, the highest number of case reports come from the EECA region (Uzbekistan and Russia), followed by the United States (10 cases – a significant decrease) and the United Kingdom (5 cases – a worrying increase).

It is possible that we were seeing more case reports because there were actually more cases, but we must always consider these reported cases to be illustrative of what is likely to be a far more widespread, poorly documented use of criminal law against people living with HIV.

Although many people arrested or prosecuted were heterosexual men, we also saw a range of intersectional identities impacted by HIV criminalisation – particularly sex workers who may also have been transgender and/or people of colour and/or with a migration background.  It is clear that a convergence of multiple levels of criminalisation, discrimination and other vulnerabilities leads to over-policing of the bodies and behaviours of people living with HIV.

LATIN AMERICA

Some of the most exciting and promising developments in 2023 came from Latin America. In June, Belize repealed its HIV-specific criminal law, enacted in 2001 but never applied, primarily to enable the country to be certified as having eliminated vertical transmission. And in August, Costa Rica’s People Living with HIV organisation pushed back against a parliamentarian’s proposal to reinstate an HIV criminalisation law.

It’s also clear that sustained advocacy by civil society in Mexico – which began in earnest when the HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE coalition supported the creation of the Mexican network in 2017 – is really making a difference. In March, the state of Nayarit repealed its infectious disease law that had mostly applied to people with HIV. The district of Mexico City is on its way to repeal a similar law. And another Mexican state, Baja California Sur, modernised the wording of the same law to attempt to destigmatise it, by removing the concept that communicable diseases are only prosecutable if sexually transmitted.

In November, a proposal for a new HIV criminalisation law in the state of Puebla was withdrawn following criticisms from HIV and human rights organisations, and a month later there are now proposals to reform the existing law. And civil society pressure to remove the federal HIV criminalisation law on constitutional grounds may have led to Mexico’s first trans congresswomen advocating for the repeal of the law in parliament. Given Mexico’s rights-based approach to SRHR – the country decriminalised abortion earlier this year – at least one of these repeal pathways are likely to succeed next year.

NORTH AMERICA

In the United States, we continued to see a marked reduction in the number of cases as the movement to repeal or modernise HIV criminalisation laws continued to grow due to ongoing, sustained advocacy by networks of people living with HIV with support from philanthropic funders as well as federal and state political leaders and public health institutions. Although, no states fully repealed their HIV-specific laws in 2023, and law reform proposals in Indiana, Minnesota, and North Dakota failed to pass, there were some important victories in Tennessee. Here, both law reform and strategic litigation bore fruit, the former by removing mandatory sex offender registration for those convicted under the HIV law, and the latter resulting in a ruling that Tennessee’s ‘aggravated prostitution’ statute violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Canada – another former global HIV criminalisation leader – continued to report fewer cases, with just one new reported case in 2023. As in the United States, this is the result of many years of sustained advocacy, although the federal government has still not responded formally to its 2022 public consultation on substantially reforming its approach to HIV criminalisation. The Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization, led by HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE coalition partner, the HIV Legal Network, issued a strong statement on World AIDS Day calling for action.

AFRICA

Unlike previous years, the only country on the African continent with reported new HIV criminalisation cases in 2023 was Kenya, where lawmakers are still planning to follow Uganda in enacting even more criminalisation aimed at LGBTI people – as are Botswana, Ghana, and Niger. Following the December 2022 dismissal of the constitutional challenge to Kenya’s HIV-specific provisions in the Sexual Offences Act, there are plans to appeal and to continue to lobby for change.

Strategic litigation led by KELIN was ultimately successful in establishing that women living with HIV possess the inherent right to make informed choices regarding their reproductive decisions following a nine-year process, so sustained advocacy – and patience – may be required. Patience may also be needed in South Africa where long-awaited sex work decriminalisation was further postponed, although parliament did agree to clear COVID lockdown criminal records. Elsewhere, another positive development in the region was the repeal of Mauritius’ colonial-era sodomy law which means that the number of nations with laws against gay sex has now fallen to 66.

EASTERN EUROPE / CENTRAL ASIA

People living with HIV in the EECA region continue to face multiple challenges. In just the first six months of 2023, there were 20 cases of alleged “intentional HIV transmission” to sexual partners in Uzbekistan’s Tashkent region – the highest HIV criminalisation case count anywhere in the world. The majority of those prosecuted appeared to be women. This comes as no surprise given that an analysis of cases and laws across the ECCA region by our HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE partners, the Eurasian Women’s Network on AIDS (EWNA), found that women living with HIV bear the brunt of the “legalised stigma” of HIV criminalisation in the region.

One of the main reasons for the high number of cases in the EECA region is the integration of HIV criminalisation within healthcare policies: newly diagnosed individuals are made to sign a paper acknowledging their legal liability for HIV prevention often without receiving adequate or meaningful counselling or support. In Russia – where the second highest number of cases were reported – a study found that most HIV clinicians support HIV criminalisation, and in Kazakhstan it was revealed that 1-in-1000 people newly diagnosed with HIV in 2022 filed a police report blaming someone else for their infection.

The legal environment for people living with HIV in Russia continues to worsen, as it does for all its citizens, especially LGBTI people – with trans women sex worker migrants facing the brunt of the Russia’s anti-LGBT “propaganda” law. And in Tajikistan, homophobic and HIV-phobic law enforcement practices resulted in ten gay men being arrested Dushanbe on suspicion of “infecting 86 people with HIV.” The only positive news for the region came from Ukraine, where a new protective HIV law was adopted earlier this year, although criminal liability for HIV exposure or transmission remains a possibility.

WESTERN EUROPE

December saw two contrasting developments in Western Europe. Just as Ireland’s Supreme Court overturned the country’s first-ever sexual HIV criminalisation case  – partially based on now well-established limitations of scientific evidence being able to prove who infected whom – a lower court in Latvia convicted someone of alleged HIV transmission for the first time.

And although in the United Kingdom, a long-awaited update to the Crown Prosecution Service’s guidance now unequivocally states that an undetectable viral load stops HIV transmission, five HIV criminalisation cases still took place, along with a highly publicised civil case. Per capita, this meant that in 2023 the UK had a five-fold incidence of reported HIV criminalisation cases compared to the United States!

ASIA PACIFIC

Singapore continues to lead the Asia Pacific region with four reported HIV criminalisation cases in 2023: one for blood donation, two for biting, and one involving a transgender sex worker for alleged HIV exposure. Although South Korea’s constitutional court ended up declaring most of its HIV criminalisation provisions constitutional, their recognition that U=U suggests the law may evolve to recognise up-to-date science.

Although ending HIV criminalisation cannot rely on science alone, it can help limit unjust prosecutions while we work to end the HIV-related stigma, discrimination and structural inequalities that drive criminalisation.

BRINGING SCIENCE TO JUSTICE

This year, we celebrated five years since the publication of the ‘Expert Consensus Statement on the Science of HIV in the Context of Criminal Law’ with our ‘Five-Year Impact Report’ and an HIV Justice Live! webshow focused on bringing science to justice. Both proved that the Expert Consensus Statement remains relevant, accurate and extremely useful.

Given this delicate balance between moving forward and preventing the erosion of hard-won rights there is still so much more to do to reach the global target of fewer than 10% of countries with punitive laws and policies that negatively impact the HIV response.

LET COMMUNITIES LEAD

To ensure that communities continue to lead, and to further enable the building of an intersectional movement to end punitive laws and policies that impact people living with HIV in all diversity, we made our online platform for e-learning and training, the HIV Justice Academy, more widely available in Spanish and Russian, to complement our English and French versions.

In 2023, the HIV Justice Academy was visited by several thousand learners from 110 countries. We were thrilled to learn that graduates of our flagship HIV Criminalisation Online Course told us that they really benefitted from the course, finding it relevant, interesting, and engaging.

RENEWED FOCUS FOR 2024

We will begin 2024 with a renewed focus to achieving HIV justice as we continue to:

  • build the evidence base by gathering relevant data and information from around the world. 
  • raise awareness across multiple platforms and communities of the harms of HIV criminalisation. 
  • create, collate, and disseminate advocacy tools and resources to foster more effective responses to damaging laws, policies, and media narratives; and
  • bring individuals and national, regional, and global networks and organisations together, as part of the HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE coalition, to catalyse change.

Mexico’s first trans congresswomen advocates for the repeal of HIV and STI criminalisation article

María Clemente proposes decriminalising the transmission of sexual diseases

Translated with Deepl.com – For article in Spanish, please scroll down

The Morena deputy’s initiative seeks to repeal article 199 bis on the danger of contagion of sexual diseases.
María Clemente García Moreno, a member of the Morena party, has presented an initiative to decriminalise sanctions related to the transmission of sexual diseases.

The project seeks the repeal of several parts of the Federal Penal Code, specifically article 199 bis which deals with the danger of contagion.

This article, published in the Official Journal of the Federation on 14 February 1940, establishes that those who, knowing that they are sick with syphilis or another venereal disease in its contagious stage, may put the health of another at risk through sexual relations, will face penalties of up to three years in prison and fines of up to three thousand pesos.
This applies even if the contagion does not occur. Legal action can only be taken in cases of spouses with a complaint from the aggrieved spouse.

Discrimination against persons with sexual diseases
García Moreno points out that this provision criminalises people with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially those living with HIV, subjecting them to criminal law simply because of the possibility of exposing others to infection. She argues that this law is discriminatory and disproportionately affects these communities.

The MP finally argues that “in each of these acts there is always a minimal possibility that a new infection will be generated, either by a failure of a condom or the efficacy of antiretroviral [sic] drugs”.

Debate between Congress and civil society
The MP argues that the key is to implement preventive and educational strategies to protect the health of all citizens. Her proposal has generated intense discussions, dividing legislators: some believe that criminal sanctions are necessary to safeguard public health and hold accountable those who endanger others.

On the other hand, there are dissenting voices, pointing out that criminalising disease transmission is not the solution and advocating greater awareness and access to health services to prevent the spread of infections.

Meanwhile, human rights organisations and activists are vigilant, calling for fairer legislation that addresses the needs of all, regardless of their health status.

María Clemente propone despenalizar transmisión de enfermedades sexuales

La iniciativa de la diputada de Morena, busca derogar el artículo 199 bis sobre peligro de contagio en enfermedades sexuales.
María Clemente García Moreno, diputada de la bancada Morena, ha presentado una iniciativa para despenalizar las sanciones relacionadas con la transmisión de enfermedades sexuales.

El proyecto busca la derogación de varias partes del Código Penal Federal, específicamente el artículo 199 bis que trata sobre el peligro de contagio.

Este artículo, publicado en el Diario Oficial de la Federación el 14 de febrero de 1940, establece que aquellos que sabiendo que están enfermos de sífilis u otra enfermedad venérea en su etapa contagiosa, puedan poner en riesgo la salud de otro mediante relaciones sexuales, enfrentarán penas de hasta tres años de cárcel y multas de hasta tres mil pesos.
Esto se aplica incluso si el contagio no se produce. Solo se puede proceder legalmente en casos de cónyuges con una denuncia del cónyuge agraviado.

Discriminación a personas con enfermedades sexuales
García Moreno señala que esta disposición penaliza a personas con infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS), especialmente a quienes viven con el VIH, sometiéndolos al derecho penal simplemente por la posibilidad de exponer a otros a una infección. Ella afirma que esta ley es discriminatoria y afecta desproporcionadamente a estas comunidades.

La diputada finalmente argumenta que “en cada uno de estos actos siempre hay una mínima posibilidad de que se genere una nueva infección, sea por una falla del condón o de la eficacia de los medicamentos antirretrovirales [sic]”.

Debate entre el Congreso y la sociedad civil
La diputada argumenta que la clave está en implementar estrategias preventivas y educativas para proteger la salud de todos los ciudadanos. Su propuesta ha generado discusiones intensas, dividiendo a los legisladores: algunos creen que las sanciones penales son necesarias para salvaguardar la salud pública y responsabilizar a quienes ponen en peligro a otros.

Por otro lado, hay voces que discrepan, señalando que penalizar la transmisión de enfermedades no es la solución y abogando por una mayor conciencia y acceso a servicios de salud para prevenir la propagación de infecciones.

Mientras tanto, organizaciones y activistas de derechos humanos están atentos, exigiendo una legislación más justa que atienda las necesidades de todos, independientemente de su estado de salud.

Mexico: HIV criminalisation reform proposal approved by Mexico City Justice Commission; it now progresses to legislative plenary

Mexico City Commission launches initiative to end criminalisation of people living with HIV

Translated via Deepl.com. For original article, please scroll down

The Commission of Administration and Procuration of Justice of the Congress of Mexico City approved the resolution of the initiative to reform and repeal various provisions of the local Penal Code, with the aim of eliminating article 159 that criminalises people with HIV.

The initiative also seeks to amend articles 76 and 130, with the aim of eliminating the criminalisation of people with sexually transmitted diseases.

The document notes that HIV-related stigma and fear continue to proliferate in many regions and discriminatory practices are widespread in health and other social services.

“Depriving people of their liberty because of their health status violates their right to legal equality, the right to non-discrimination, sexual and reproductive rights, the right to health protection and the right to quality, timely, safe and effective health care,” the initiative states.

In an extraordinary virtual session, the deputy José Octavio Rivero Villaseñor (Morena), president of this commission, explained that the opinions of several legislators interested in the issue were gathered for this ruling.

It is expected that next Thursday in session, the legislative plenary will raise the initiative for general approval and repeal.

Mexico: Sexual connotation removed from BCS article on “danger of contagion” but full repeal denied

To avoid discrimination, article of the BCS Penal Code on “danger of contagion” was reformed

Translated via Deepl.com – Scroll down for original article in Spanish

The sexual connotation was removed from the wording of Article 168 of the BCS Penal Code, which addresses the “Danger of Contagion”.

La Paz, Baja California Sur (BCS). This week, the Legislative Power approved a citizen’s initiative to reform article 168 of the Penal Code for Baja California Sur, referring to “danger of contagion”, in whose wording the sexual connotation was removed, following a citizen’s initiative.

The text defined the danger of contagion as “whoever, with the knowledge that he or she suffers from a serious and transmissible disease, puts the health of another in danger of contagion, through sexual relations or any other transmissible means”, as stated.

Therefore, a generic term was proposed and approved by the assembly, to read as follows: “Whoever, with the knowledge that he or she is suffering from a serious and transmissible disease, endangers the health of someone else by any transmissible means”.

In its opinion, the Standing Committee on Constitutional Points and Justice established that the previous wording does indeed refer, in particular, to sexual relations as a means of committing the crime, which could result in a form of discrimination against people suffering from HIV.

It is worth mentioning that, in the original initiative, it was proposed to repeal the article in its entirety, however, the deputies considered reforming the law.

“The text referring to ‘sexual relations’ was deleted, with the aim of not falling under the assumption of the unconstitutionality action number 139/2015, where the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation invalidated the contested normative part, that is, the added expression ‘sexually transmitted infections’,” explained the president of the Constitutional and Justice Commission, José María Avilés Castro.

Para evitar discriminación, reforman artículo del Código Penal de BCS sobre “peligro de contagio”

Se suprimió la connotación sexual en la redacción del Artículo 168 del Código Penal en BCS, misma que aborda el “Peligro de Contagio”

La Paz, Baja California Sur (BCS). Esta semana, en el Poder Legislativo se aprobó una iniciativa ciudadana que reforma el artículo 168 del Código Penal para Baja California Sur, referente al “peligro de contagio”, en cuya redacción se suprimió la connotación sexual; esto, tras una iniciativa ciudadana.

El texto definía al peligro de contagio como “a quien con conocimiento de que padece una enfermedad grave y transmitible, ponga en peligro de contagio la salud de otro, por relaciones sexual u otro medio transmitible”, según lo expuesto.

Por lo anterior, se propuso un término genérico y fue aprobado por la asamblea, para quedar de la siguiente forma: “A quien con conocimiento de que padezca una enfermedad grave y transmitible ponga en peligro de contagio la salud de alguien por cualquier medio transmitible”.

La Comisión Permanente de Puntos Constitucionales y de Justicia en su dictamen estableció que la redacción anterior efectivamente hace alusión, en forma particular, a las relaciones sexuales como medio de comisión del delito, lo que se podía traducir en una forma de discriminación a las personas que padecen VIH.

Conviene mencionar que, en la iniciativa original se proponía derogar el artículo en su totalidad, sin embargo, los diputados consideraron reformar la Ley.

“Se suprimió el texto referente a ‘relaciones sexuales’, con la finalidad de no caer en el supuesto de la acción de inconstitucionalidad número 139/2015, donde la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación invalidó la parte normativa impugnada, esto es, la expresión adicionada ‘infecciones de transmisión sexual’”, explicó el presidente de la comisión de Puntos Constitucionales y de Justicia, José María Avilés Castro.

Mexico: Proposal for reform of HIV and STI criminalisation law put forward to Puebla Justice Commission for consideration

Proposed repeal of penalties for people with sexually transmitted diseases

Translated via Deepl.com – Scroll down for original article in Spanish

Because they are discriminatory, they are proposing to the State Congress to repeal the sanctions applicable to those who are carriers of a sexually transmitted disease that could put other people at risk of infection.

Jocelyn Olivares López, a member of the National Regeneration Movement (Morena), said that articles 213 and 214 of the Puebla Penal Code violate the human rights of people diagnosed with one of these diseases.
She pointed out that the discrimination experienced by people with AIDS or any sexually transmitted infection is unfortunate, as prevention and care of the diseases are put on the back burner and their criminalisation is encouraged.

“The purpose is to eliminate the sanctions established for those who, knowing that they suffer from a sexually transmitted infection or any other chronic or serious disease that can be transmitted sexually or by any other direct means, put the health of another person at risk of infection”.
The initiative proposed by the Morena legislator was turned over to the Commission for the Procuration and Administration of Justice of the LXI Legislature for its study and corresponding resolution.

Proponen derogar sanciones aplicables a portadores de enfermedades venéreas

Por ser discriminatorias, proponen al Congreso del Estado la derogación de las sanciones aplicables a quienes siendo portadores de una enfermedad de transmisión sexual pudieran poner en riesgo de contagio a otras personas.

La diputada por el Movimiento de Regeneración Nacional (Morena), Jocelyn Olivares López, dijo que los artículos 213 y 214 del Código Penal de Puebla vulneran los derechos humanos de las personas diagnosticadas con alguno de estos padecimientos.
Señaló que es lamentable la discriminación que viven las personas con Sida o alguna infección de transmisión sexual, pues se deja en segundo plano a la prevención y atención de las enfermedades y se fomenta su criminalización.

“El propósito es eliminar las sanciones establecidas a quien sabiendo que padece un mal venéreo o cualquier otra enfermedad crónica o grave que sea transmisible por vía sexual o por cualquier otro medio directo, pusiere en peligro de contagio la salud de otra persona”.
La iniciativa planteada por la legisladora de Morena fue turnada a la Comisión de Procuración y Administración de Justicia de la LXI Legislatura para su estudio y resolución correspondiente.

Mexico: HIV Criminalisation reform one of the pending issues in Mexico City backlog of legislative reforms

Congress is behind on reform to decriminalise HIV

Translated via Deepl.com. Scroll down for the original article in Spanish.

Congress is behind on reform to decriminalise HIV

The local Congress has an initiative on the agenda to remove the stigmatisation of people with HIV from Article 159 of the Penal Code, said the Attorney General of Justice, Ernestina Godoy. This Article establishes that a person can go to prison for up to 10 years for living with a “serious illness” for the crime of “danger of contagion”. “The Mexico City Congress is now debating proposals to repeal the criminal offence of danger of contagion, because it stigmatises and criminalises people living with HIV,” said the Prosecutor. “This would be a very important step forward in the fight against discrimination. ,
The reform is one of the pending issues in the backlog of this legislature, and the head of government, Martí Batres, said that the law criminalises people with HIV, which is why he asked legislators to remove it. “Today (Friday), which is World AIDS Day, we reiterate the call we made to the Congress of Mexico City to repeal Article 159,” said Batres. He added that criminal behaviour should be included in the Penal Code. “And we must decriminalise those behaviours that are not part of criminal activities, that is why today (Friday) we reiterate this call to repeal Article 159 of the Penal Code,” he insisted. “It criminalises an intention and a risk, not criminal behaviour”. The Head of Government underlined that the provision will contribute to building a city of human rights.

Adeuda Congreso reforma para despenalizar VIH

El Congreso local tiene agendada una iniciativa para suprimir la estigmatización de las personas con VIH del Artículo 159 del Código Penal, señaló la Fiscal General de Justicia, Ernestina Godoy. Este Artículo establece que una persona podrá ir a prisión hasta 10 años por vivir con una “enfermedad grave” por el delito de “peligro de contagio”. “El Congreso de la Ciudad de México debate ahora propuestas para derogar el tipo penal de peligro de contagio, debido a que estigmatiza y criminaliza a las personas que viven con VIH”, planteó la Fiscal. “Esto sería un avance muy importante en la lucha contra la discriminación”.
La reforma es uno de los pendientes acumulados en los rezagos de esta legislatura.El Jefe de Gobierno, Martí Batres , expuso que tal ordenamiento criminaliza a las personas con VIH, por lo que se pidió a los legisladores quitarlo. “Hoy (viernes), que es el Día Mundial de Lucha contra el SIDA, reiteramos el llamado que hicimos al Congreso de la Ciudad de México para derogar el Artículo 159”, urgió Batres. El Mandatario agregó que en el Código Penal deben estar las conductas criminales. “Y debemos descriminalizar aquellas conductas que no forman parte de actividades delictivas, por eso el día de hoy (viernes) reiteramos este llamado para derogar el Artículo 159 del Código Penal”, insistió. “Criminaliza una intención y un riesgo, y no una conducta criminal”. El Jefe de Gobierno subrayó que la disposición abonará en construir una Ciudad de derechos humanos.

US: Tennessee’s aggravated prostitution statute violates the Americans with Disabilities Act

Justice Department Finds that Enforcement of Tennessee State Law Discriminates Against People with HIV

he Justice Department announced today its finding that the State of Tennessee, including its Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office (SCDAO), violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by enforcing the state’s aggravated prostitution statute against people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Today’s announcement comes on World AIDS Day, an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic.

The department’s comprehensive investigation found that the state and the SCDAO subject people living with HIV to harsher criminal penalties solely because of their HIV status, violating Title II of the ADA.

“Tennessee’s aggravated prostitution law is outdated, has no basis in science, discourages testing and further marginalizes people living with HIV,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “People living with HIV should not be treated as violent sex offenders for the rest of their lives solely because of their HIV status. The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities are protected from discrimination.”

Tennessee’s aggravated prostitution statute elevates what would otherwise be misdemeanor conduct to a felony because the individual has HIV, regardless of any actual risk of harm. A person convicted of aggravated prostitution faces three to 15 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000, while a person convicted of a misdemeanor charge based on the same conduct is subject to a sentence of no more than six months and up to a $500 fine. While the aggravated prostitution statute applies statewide, it has been enforced most frequently in Shelby County.

Aggravated prostitution is also categorized as a “violent sexual offense” mandating registration by those convicted on the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry, in most cases for life. The state maintains the registry through the TBI. Individuals placed on the registry due to convictions for aggravated prostitution are restricted in where they may live, work and go in public, and have experienced increased homelessness and unemployment. These individuals also face public disclosure of information about their HIV status, which can lead to harassment and discrimination. The department opened this investigation in response to complaints about enforcement of the statute.

The department’s letter provides Tennessee, TBI and the SCDAO, with written notice of its findings and details the minimum remedial measures necessary to address them.

The Justice Department plays a central role in advancing the ADA’s goals of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov.

Russia: Human rights commissioner calls for criminalisation of pregnant women with HIV refusing treatment

Ombudsman in Novosibirsk proposes to try pregnant women with HIV for refusing treatment

Translated via Deepl.com. Scroll down for original text in Russian.

Nina Shalabaeva, Ombudsman for Human Rights in the Novosibirsk Region, proposed to punish pregnant women with HIV for refusing treatment. She made the statement during a TASS press conference.

– A woman can refuse treatment. But I believe that this is wrong, because there is a risk that the child will fall ill too. Therefore, I would make a proposal on criminal liability for pregnant women evading therapy,” Nina Shalabaeva said.
According to Novosibirskstat, in 2022 in the region registered 2 thousand first-time HIV-infected people. Over the year, the rate of primary HIV infections increased by 6%.

Омбудсмен в Новосибирске предложила судить беременных с ВИЧ за отказ от терапии

Новосибирский омбудсмен предложила судить беременных с ВИЧ за отказ от лечения
Уполномоченная по правам человека в Новосибирской области Нина Шалабаева предложила наказывать беременных с ВИЧ за отказ от лечения. Заявление она сделала в ходе пресс-конференции ТАСС.

– Женщина может отказаться от лечения. Но я считаю, что это неправильно, потому что есть риск, что и ребенок заболеет. Поэтому я бы внесла предложение об уголовной ответственности за то, что беременные уклоняются от терапии, – сказала Нина Шалабаева.
Согласно данным Новосибирскстата, в 2022 году в регионе зарегистрировали 2 тысячи впервые выявленных ВИЧ-инфицированных. За год показатель первичной заболеваемости ВИЧ-инфекциями вырос на 6%.

US: Louisiana debates overhaul of controversial HIV criminalisation law

State task force weighs revising Louisiana law criminalizing HIV exposure

By Meghan Friedmann

Some state legislators are pushing to change Louisiana’s HIV criminalization law, which mandates up to 10 years in prison and 15 years on the sex offender registry for people convicted of intentionally exposing people to the virus.

Advocates for changing the 1987 law say it is overly broad and results in false accusations and convictions even when no HIV transmission occurs. They also say the law relies on a flawed understanding of how HIV is spread, and that it discourages HIV testing because it shields people who do not know their status from criminal liability.

Proponents for keeping the law say it protects people from getting HIV, and that there shouldn’t be leniency for those who put others at risk of infection.

The state’s Task Force to Study HIV Criminalization, which met last week, is taking up those issues. The panel, which includes legislators and health care professionals, could ultimately ask the Legislature to consider revising the law.

Legislator members include State Rep. Aimee Freeman, D-New Orleans, who co-authored the House resolution that convened the panel; Rep. Vanessa LaFleur, D-Baton Rouge, and Rep. Wayne McMahen, R-Minden.

“I do hope the members of the (Legislature) will see the reasons for this change,” Freeman said in an interview. “It’s just to update a law that’s using old science.”

McMahen, the task force’s lone Republican legislator, said in an interview that he was open to updating the law but hadn’t yet made any decisions on what changes should occur.

“You want a pathway forward, but you’ve got to have guardrails on that pathway too, to protect both sides of the population,” McMahen said, referring to people who are HIV positive and people who are not. “This was a fact-finding, information-gathering task force. … then we need to see what we can come up with.”

It remains to be seen whether the issue will be supported by other lawmakers or by Gov.-elect Jeff Landry, the state’s hard-right attorney general who has promised to be tough on crime.

A Landry spokesperson said she could not provide comment by deadline. Landry is widely expected to call a special session on crime in January.

At issue is a statute that holds that “no person shall intentionally expose another to HIV through any means or contact without the knowing and lawful consent of the victim, if at the time of the exposure the infected person knew he was HIV positive.”

Convictions result in a decadelong prison sentence or a $5,000 fine, or both, with slightly steeper penalties for those convicted of exposing a first responder to the virus. Louisiana also requires people convicted of crimes involving HIV to register as sex offenders.

A defendant can only avoid conviction if they prove the person exposed knew the defendant had HIV and knew the act could result in an infection, or if they prove both that they disclosed their status and either a medical professional told them they were noninfectious, or they “took practical means to prevent transmission.”

Between 2011 and 2022, at least 176 people were arrested under Louisiana’s HIV criminalization statute. About 91% of those arrested were Black men, a population that makes up 44% of state residents living with HIV.

During last week’s task force meeting, Rep. Larry Bagley, R-Stonewall, expressed skepticism over whether it was necessary to change the law. Bagley is not a member of the task force but sat in as McMahen’s proxy.

“With somebody that would pass HIV along knowingly, I wouldn’t have any sympathy at all for them, and as a legislator, I would never vote to change those laws where we’re going to allow those things,” he said. “Regardless of what is said it can lead to your death. … I’m going to take a pretty strong stance there.”

But other task force members who support changes stressed that an HIV diagnosis is no longer a death sentence and noted that modern-day treatment options can make it impossible for HIV-positive individuals to infect others.

George Nawas, a clinical assistant professor at Xavier University, said HIV is the only sexually transmitted infection that Louisiana criminalizes. HIV criminalization may work against public health by reducing test rates, he added. In 2020, Louisiana had the fourth-highest HIV case rate in the country.

“(The law) is putting responsibility on people living with HIV if at the time of the exposure the infected person knew he was HIV positive. One of the things that we know to end the HIV epidemic is to encourage people. … to get tested,” Nawas aid. “So by someone reading this statute here … people are discouraged to know their status.”

Mexico: Puebla deputy withdraws his HIV criminalisation proposal following criticisms from HIV and human rights organisations

Morena deputy criticised for initiative that criminalises people with HIV in Puebla

Translated via Deepl.com. Scroll down for original article in Spanish

Collectives and activists criticised Carlos Evangelista’s initiative that criminalises and seeks to impose up to 10 years in prison.

The local Morena deputy Carlos Evangelista Aniceto has been criticised by groups and activists for presenting an initiative that criminalises people with HIV or any other sexually transmitted infection.

The proposal seeks to reform the Penal Code of the State of Puebla to impose up to 10 years in prison on anyone who, knowing that they suffer from a venereal disease, chronic or serious, incurable and sexually transmissible disease, puts the health of another person at risk of contagion.

Carlos Evangelista boasted on his social networks the initiative that he presented this Thursday, November 9 before the Congress of Puebla, which was turned to the Commission of Procuration and Administration of Justice for its study and, if necessary, appropriate resolution.

“I presented an initiative with the aim that whoever suffers from a venereal disease or other chronic disease transmissible by sexual means or any other direct means that puts another person at risk of contagion and in the event that the disease suffered was incurable, impose up to 10 years in prison, as well as to those who without the consent of those who can legally give it, abstain, stop using or fraudulently damage a contraceptive method”, he proposed.

Carlos Evangelista’s initiative was rejected by the groups Vida Plena Puebla, Red La Morada and the Observatorio Ciudadano de Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos (Odesyr), considering that it criminalises people living with HIV or sexually transmitted infections, as well as promoting stigma, discrimination, prejudice, ignorance and violence towards this historically vulnerable social sector.

The organisations and activists demanded that the proposal be withdrawn from Congress and that the Morena deputy receive training from the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) and the National Council for the Prevention and Control of HIV and AIDS (Censida).

Following the criticism he received, Carlos Evangelista asked the state Congress to withdraw the initiative he presented on Thursday, arguing that “legislating in favour of vulnerable groups and the most unprotected” has been his objective in the local legislature.

Critican a diputado de Morena por iniciativa que criminaliza a personas con VIH en Puebla

Colectivos y activistas reprocharon la iniciativa de Carlos Evangelista que criminaliza y busca imponer hasta 10 años de prisión

Colectivos y activistas criticaron al diputado local de Morena Carlos Evangelista Aniceto por presentar una iniciativa que criminaliza a las personas con VIH o con cualquier infección de transmisión sexual.

La propuesta busca reformar el Código Penal del Estado de Puebla para imponer hasta 10 años de prisión a quien sabiendo que padece un mal venéreo, enfermedad crónica o grave, incurable y que sea transmisible por vía sexual, ponga en peligro de contagio la salud de otra persona.

Carlos Evangelista presumió en sus redes sociales la iniciativa que presentó este jueves 9 de noviembre ante el Congreso de Puebla, misma que fue turnada a la Comisión de Procuración y Administración de Justicia para su estudio y, en su caso, resolución procedente.

“Presenté una iniciativa con la finalidad de que quien padezca algún mal venéreo u otra enfermedad crónica transmisible por vía sexual o cualquier otro medio directo que ponga en riesgo de contagio a otra persona y en caso de que la enfermedad padecida fuera incurable, imponer hasta 10 años de prisión, de igual manera al que sin el consentimiento de quien legalmente pueda otorgarlo, se abstenga, deje de utilizar o dañe dolosamente un método anticonceptivo”, propuso.

La iniciativa de Carlos Evangelista fue rechazada por los colectivos Vida Plena Puebla, Red La Morada y el Observatorio Ciudadano de Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos (Odesyr), al considerar que criminaliza a las personas que viven con VIH o infecciones de transmisión sexual, además de que fomenta el estigma, la discriminación, prejuicios, la ignorancia y la violencia hacia este sector social e históricamente vulnerado.

Las organizaciones y activistas exigieron que la propuesta sea retirada del Congreso y que el diputado de Morena reciba capacitación de la Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos (CNDH) y el Consejo Nacional para la Prevención y el Control del VIH y el Sida (Censida).

Tras las críticas que recibió, Carlos Evangelista pidió al Congreso del estado retirar la iniciativa que presentó este mismo jueves, argumentando que “legislar a favor de los grupos vulnerables y los más desprotegidos” ha sido su objetivo en el Legislativo local.