Torture, murders, extrajudicial executions, death penalty: After the Taliban took power, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people (LGBT+) in Afghanistan are in mortal danger. The new rulers mercilessly persecute LGBT+ and specifically track them down. The borders are largely closed. But even after a successful escape to the neighboring countries Pakistan and Iran, the horror is not over. There, too, the death penalty can be imposed for homosexuality. Moreover, LGBT+ people are often ignored as a target group in international aid and cooperation measures.

Germany has pledged to rescue people in particular need of protection. The Conference of Interior Ministers already decided in August to bring particularly vulnerable groups of people from Afghanistan to safety in Germany as quickly as possible. But virtually nothing has happened since then. The Federal Foreign Office's humanitarian evacuation lists have been closed. Afghanistan has disappeared from the political and media agenda.

The new German government has decided to launch a humanitarian admission program for Afghanistan. It is unclear whether and how LGBT+ people will be explicitly considered as a highly vulnerable group.

Time is running out. We are still receiving desperate requests for help. There are concrete names that the federal government is aware of as well. LGBT+ people can still be rescued from Afghanistan and neighboring countries.

Afghan LGBT+ people need our help NOW.

Foreign Minister Baerbock and Interior Minister Faeser must act immediately and rescue as many Afghan LGBT+ people as possible from the Taliban.

The petition is supported by the Lesbian and Gay Association (LSVD), Bundesweite Arbeitsgemeinschaft der psychosozialen Zentren für Flüchtlinge und Folteropfer (BAfF e.V.), CSD Bremen, Rat&Tat Zentrum für Queeres Leben Bremen, Rosa Strippe und Schwulenberatung Berlin.