11. Afghanistan
Afghanistan has been in turmoil ever since the US decided to invade this southwest Asian country after the tragic events of 9/11 attacks. All civil rights including the rights of the LGBT community have been jeopardized throughout the duration of the conflicts, and they still are. But gay community persecution didn’t start in 2001. Their roots are much deeper than that in this 99% Islamic country where Shariah Law is being conducted. Although public executions of homosexuals have ceased since the defeat of the Taliban regime, Afghanistan law doesn’t recognize civil unions, let alone same-sex marriages. It falls to Islamic law then to determine the fate of the LGBT “transgressors”, and Shariah Law “prescribes” the death penalty in such cases. Mind that capital punishment such as this will more likely be carried out in rural areas. Homosexuals in Afghanistan’s urban areas (not those under Taliban and ISIS control) will likely “only” face prison.
