GENEVA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on Tuesday welcomed the repeal of laws in Lebanon, Tunisia and Jordan that allowed rapists to avoid criminal prosecution by marrying their victims.
"To punish a rape victim by making her marry the perpetrator of a horrible crime against her, there is no place in today's world for such hideous laws," he said in a statement issued Tuesday.
"I warmly welcome the stand that lawmakers in Lebanon, Tunisia and Jordan have taken towards eliminating violence against women and ensuring that perpetrators of such violence are held to account," he added.
On Aug. 16, Lebanon voted to repeal article 522 of its penal code, a law that provided that if a person accused of rape agreed to marry the victim, the accused not be subjected to criminal prosecution.
Two weeks earlier, on Aug. 1, Jordanian lawmakers also voted to abolish a similar provision.
In Tunisia, on July 26, the parliament adopted a law on eliminating violence against women and eliminating impunity for perpetrators, recognizing that violence against women includes economic, sexual, political and psychological violence. The law will come into effect next year.
"These are hard-won victories, thanks to the tireless campaigns over the years by human rights defenders, in particular women human rights defenders," Zeid said.
