USA became one of 13 countries that voted against the resolution of the United Nationscondemning the death penalty for homosexuality. Besides America a similar position was taken by China, Iraq, Botswana, Saudi Arabia, UAE and a number of Eastern countries. 27 States supported the resolution, 7 abstained from voting.
The document applies not only to the death penalty for LGBT people. The resolution strongly condemned «the imposition of the death penalty as punishment for specific behaviors such as apostasy, blasphemy, adultery and consensual same-sex relations,» the use of the death penalty against persons with «mental or intellectual disabilities», minors and pregnant women.
Russia in voting did not participate, as last year was expelled from Council for human rights of the UN, however, before the exception, strongly opposed the resolution.
The United States supported two included Russia and never adopted the amendment, which said that the death penalty is not necessarily a «violation of human rights» and that it is not carried out in the form of torture, but they can apply «in some cases».
At the same time, the amendment proposed by Saudi Arabia, the US is not supported. It was said that each state should be empowered to develop their own laws in this area and to apply punishment at their discretion.
Currently, there are six countries where the death penalty sentence for homosexuality. It is Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria and Somalia. If to this list to add the ISIS occupied areas of Iraq and Syria – will only 8 countries.
The outcome of the vote angered the public and politicians. Former US Ambassador to the UN under President Barack Obama, Susan rice, commented on the position of the state: «Shame on US!».
The current representative of the USA to the UN , Nikki Haley even had to make excuses about this: «I was proud to lead the US efforts in the UN to protect members of the LGBT community at a time when America stood for human rights for all».
