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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 17 January 2024
Wave of transgender slayings in Mexico spurs anger and protests
by LGBTQ+ community
MEGAN JANETSKY everything in our power so
Associated Press the next generations won’t
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Au- have to live in fear.”
thorities in Mexico said at Gay and transgender
least three transgender populations are regular-
people were killed in the ly attacked and killed in
first two weeks of 2024, and Mexico, a nation marked
rights groups were investi- by its “macho” and highly
gating two additional such religious population. The
cases. The slayings marked brutality of some of the at-
a violent start to the year tacks is meant to send a
in a country where the LG- message to Queer people
BTQ+ community is often that they are not welcome
targeted. in society.
The latest death came on Over the past six years, the
Sunday, when transgen- rights group Letra S has
der activist and politician documented at least 513
Samantha Gómez Fonse- targeted killings of LGBTQ+
ca was shot multiple times people in Mexico. Just last
and slain inside a car in year, the violent death of
the south of Mexico City, one of the most recog-
according to local pros- nizable LGBTQ+ figured
ecutors. The killings spurred in Mexico, Ociel Baena,
outrage among members A member of the LGBTQ+ community holds a portrait of transgender activist Samantha Gomes sparked a similar wave of
of the LGBTQ+ community Fonseca during a rally to protest her murder in Mexico City, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. Gomes was outrage and protests.
shot in Mexico City Sunday.
who protested in Mexico Associated Press Some like 55-year-old
City’s main throughway Xomalia Ramírez said the
on Monday.Around 100 painted the words “trans ceptance of transgender among the marchers, said violence was a partly con-
people marched chanting: lives matter” on the walls of people in society. After her it felt like “the violence sequence of comments
“Samantha listen, we’re Mexico’s National Palace. death, the march quickly was knocking on our front made by Mexican Presi-
fighting for you” and car- Fonseca, the activist and turned into a call for jus- door.” dent Andrés Manuel López
rying signs reading “your politician slain on Sun- tice and for more compre- “We are scared, but with Obrador last week when he
hate speech kills.” day, originally intended to hensive laws around hate that fear we’re going to described a transgender
Another group of protest- march alongside other ac- crimes.Paulina Carrazco, a keep fighting,” Carrazco congresswoman as “man
ers earlier in the day spray tivists to call for greater ac- 41-year-old trans woman said. “We’re going to do dressed as a woman.”q
Pakistan’s ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan indicted on charge of
violating marriage law
By MUNIR AHMED 2017, less than three months ously was married to social- is a requirement of Islamic cases, which include incit-
Associated Press ahead of Khan’s Jan. 1, ite Jemima Goldsmith and law that is upheld under ing people to violence af-
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Paki- 2018 marriage, which was journalist Reham Khan, and Pakistani law. ter his arrest in May 2023.
stani court on Tuesday in- announced in February of his current wife have both Khan pleaded not guilty During nationwide riots in
dicted imprisoned former that year. But Bibi has said denied that they violated Tuesday when charges May, Khan’s supporters
Prime Minister Imran Khan the divorce was in August the three-month waiting were read out to him by from his Pakistan Tehreek-
and his wife on a charge of 2017. Khan, who previ- period. The waiting period a judge at Adiala prison in e-Insaf party attacked the
that their 2018 marriage the garrison city of Rawal- military’s headquarters in
violated the legal require- pindi. Bibi was not present the garrison city of Rawal-
ment that a woman wait at the time of indictment, pindi, stormed an air base
three months before re- though she has previously in Mianwali in the east-
marriage, his lawyer said. denied the charge. ern Punjab province and
Khan denied the charge, “Everyone knows he’s be- torched a building housing
and his lawyer, Intisar Pan- ing charged and incar- state-run Radio Pakistan in
jutha, called the case one cerated in bogus cases to the northwest.
of scores against the former keep him out of electoral The violence subsided only
prime minister that he sees race, however people of when Khan was released
as a politically motivated Pakistan don’t seem to be at the time by the Supreme
attempt to keep Khan out giving up on him,’’ Khan’s Court.
of Pakistan’s general elec- lawyer, Panjutha, said. On Tuesday, police arrest-
tions to be held next month. Khan, who was ousted from ed Khan ally Sheikh Rashid
Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, who power in a no-confidence Ahmed on charges of incit-
is a spiritual healer, was pre- vote in Parliament in April ing people to violence in
viously married to a man Supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) a political party of 2022, is currently serving a May in the city of Rawalpin-
named Khawar Maneka former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, hold a rally against prison term in a graft case. di. Ahmed served as inte-
who has claimed that they the decision of election commission for the electoral symbol of Khan has also been em- rior minister in Khan’s gov-
divorced in November a cricket bat, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. broiled in more than 150 ernment until his ouster.q
Associated Press