On March 30, 2019, a Lebanese military court ruled that homosexuality is not a crime and refused to prosecute four individuals accused of the ‘crime’. This landmark decision is the first case of a military court refusing to equate homosexuality with a crime, although there have been precedents in civilian courts.
Despite the ruling, the army still discharged the four individuals involved in the case.
In the Lebanese penal code, Article 534 of the constitution had allowed for the prosecution of homosexuals. Activists and lawyers who support LGBTQ+ rights have worked to abolish the article.
Article 534 punishes “intercourse contrary to nature” with up to one year in prison. Because the definition of homosexuality is not explicitly stated, more progressive judges have been able to interpret the law and vindicate those prosecuted for acts such as sodomy. Read more