Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg prime minister and openly gay, has on a European-Arab summit in Egypt of the leaders of a number of states in a personal way, faced with the lack of human rights in their country. “In many of your countries I would the death penalty can get,” said Bettel after he mentioned that he is a man and married.

According to a German journalist in the audience was present in the Egyptian resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh, we went to Bettels decision, an “icy silence”.

Bettel tweette the message of the journalist with the comment that silence for him was not an option. On homosexuality, the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Sudan. Also in Algeria, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia, Syria, Kuwait and a number of the United Arab Emirates, homosexuality is a criminal offence. In Egypt itself, homosexuality is not in the penal code, but according to Human Rights Watch, is being with a partner of the same gender there is no evidence, and indeed persecuted.

Xavier Bettel is since 2013 the prime minister of Luxembourg. In 2015, he married with his friend Gauthier Destenay and became the first European head of government who married someone of the same sex.

human Rights

The summit between the European Union and the Arab League took Sunday and Monday place in Egypt. It was the first summit between the two blocks ever. On the program were several themes, including also the sensitive point of the human rights. But a joint statement about that was not so evident. European president Donald Tusk insisted on the promise that “all aspects of the human rights are respected” had to be. But the EU could not prevent a reference to the right to freedom of expression was diluted.

Egyptian president Abdul Fatah al-Sisi pointed criticism on the human rights situation in his country. “We each have a different culture. Our priority is the preservation of our countries and prevent them to collapse, like in many surrounding countries will see.”

When al-Sisi for his pronunciation remarkably loud applause for received of the present Arab journalists, was Tusk a sarcastic comment is not to suppress. “Fantastic how enthusiastic your media. I get in Europe never had such a reaction. Congratulations,” said the Pole who during the communism still in jail for his opinion.

European commission President Jean-Claude Juncker defended the top. “If I only with perfect democrats would be allowed to speak, would be my week already on Tuesday.”

The next summit between the EU and the Arab League in 2022 take place in Brussels.

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