A court in Germany has handed out fines to the father and two uncles of a gay teenager after they abducted him and tried to marry him off to a Lebanese girl against his will. After a five-minute hearing in Berlin, the father and uncles were each fined 1,350 euros in absentia for depriving a minor his personal freedom by abducting him and taking him abroad.

Nasser El-Ahmad was 15 when he revealed to his family he was homosexual. The 18-year-old also alleges that he was subject to verbal threats and physical violence. The Berlin court did not handle these separate allegations of torture, but the abduction occurred after Nasser was put into care having run away from home.

Nasser, unlike the accused, was present at the hearing and wore a badge marked “STOP HOMOPHOBIA”. He told reporters afterwards: “At least this came to court and I am happy for that. I’m not someone who hides. I don’t want to suppress my homosexuality.” Read More