No reports of homosexuals having been subjected to prosecution or imprisonment could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

In its February 2002 issue, Euro-Letter, a newsletter published on behalf of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) - Europe by the International Branch of the Danish National Association for Gays and Lesbians (Jensen n.d.), reported that the President of Romania had approved on 14 January 2002 Government Emergency Ordinance no. 89/21 June 2001 abrogating Article 200 of the penal code which punished same-sex relationships (ILGA Euro-Letter). Issued on 21 June 2001, the ordinance had been adopted by the Chamber of Deputies on 18 December 2001 and then by the Senate on 20 December 2001 (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

ILGA Euro-Letter [Copenhagen]. February 2002. No. 95. "Repeal of Laws Criminalising Same-Sex Relationships in Romania Steps Up Pressure for Repeal of Discrimination Laws in Cyprus, Hungary and Bulgaria." (steff@inet.uni2.dk)

Jensen, Steffen. n.d. "EuroLetter." http://www.steff.suite.dk/eurolet.htm [Accessed 2 Apr. 2002]

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB Databases

LEXIS/NEXIS

Internet sites including:

ACCEPT [Bucharest]

Amnesty International

Association for the Defence of Human Rights in Romania - the Helsinki Committee (APADOR-CH) [Bucharest]

European Commission

GLBT World Wide (Gay) News Digest

Human Rights Watch

International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) [San Francisco, Calif.]

International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) [Brussels]

ILGA-Europe

Queer Resources Directory

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)

rainbownetwork.com

Rex Wockner's International News

Le séminaire gai

The Texas Triangle Online

UK Home Office, Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND),

Country Assessment: Romania.

US Department of State.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001.

World News Connection (WNC)