by Rex Wockner
International News
At least 14 cross-dressers have been arrested under a new Kuwaiti law that criminalizes "imitating the appearance of the opposite sex … in public."
They are being held in a special ward of Tahla Prison, where guards have shaved off the detainees' hair and subjected them to other psychological and physical abuse, Human Rights Watch said Jan. 17.
"Transgender people in Kuwait tell Human Rights Watch that they are now afraid to leave their homes — even for work or to meet basic needs — for fear of arrest and ill-treatment," the organization said in a statement.
"The wave of arrests in the past month shows exactly why Kuwait should repeal this repressive law," said Joe Stork, deputy director of the group's Middle East division.
Article 199 of the Criminal Code, approved by the National Assembly on Dec. 10, states, "[A]ny person committing an indecent act in a public place, or imitating the appearance of a member of the opposite sex, shall be subject to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or a fine not exceeding one thousand dinars," which is about $3,680.
Assistance: Bill Kelley
Filed from San Diego
