Tunisia: President of LGBT association jailed for insulting Prophet

Dubai: The president of an association for defending minorities and LGBT communities in Tunisia has been sentenced to one year in jail in addition to a financial fine for insulting Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

On his twitter page, Mounir Baatour, President of the Shams, an association founded in early 2015 to defend LGBTQ rights, said the Tunis Court of First Instance had sentenced him to one year in jail and a fine of TD1,000 for insulting Prophet Mohammed.

The gay association has sparked a huge controversy in Tunisia, where it faces popular rejection and denunciation in Tunisia's Muslim society.

The association was legally registered in 2015, and works to decriminalise homosexuality, in addition to raising awareness about sexually transmitted diseases. Shams was the first organisation for LGBT rights to receive official authorisation from Tunisia’s interior ministry.