A few years ago, former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif endorsed the execution of gay people. He even defended his country's draconian policies at a joint press conference with then German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Tehran in 2019.
A reporter from German tabloid Bild asked: "Why are homosexuals executed in Iran because of their sexual orientation?"
He responded: "Our society has moral principles. And we live according to these principles. These are moral principles concerning the behavior of people in general. And that means that the law is respected and the law is obeyed," after railing against human rights violations by the US and Israel.
Shadi Amin, an Iranian writer and activist who now lives in Germany, told DW-Farsi that she was "outraged" by the Iranian foreign minister's comments. "Humiliation, repression and sexual harassment of a particular social group should be viewed critically and prohibited by law," Amin said.
"Violating LGBT rights under the guise of 'moral principles' shows that Zarif doesn't respect human rights. LGBT rights are human rights. Iran must not violate them by giving religious or cultural reasons," she said. "New laws have made societies aware of the differences and accept them."
"Many homosexuals tell us of abuse, torture and threats faced by their families and friends. As long as the country's laws do not change, the situation of homosexuals in Iran will not improve," said Amin.
A few years before that (2015), Islamic State has published disturbing pictures of what it says are the executions of two homosexual men in Iraq — shown being thrown off a high-rise rooftop to their deaths.
The organization has also released images of two men being crucified for theft, and a woman being stoned to death for infidelity.
The two men, accused of being gay, are seen being led to the edge of a tall building as a large crowd gathers below to watch. The men are then photographed falling through the air. A later photograph shows their broken bodies laying on the ground.
Homosexuality violates Islamic Law in Iran and Iraq, which are punishable by death. Several thousand people have been executed for homosexuality since the 1979 Islamic revolution, according to some rights activists.