Report: Isis stones 2 men on homosexuality claims

There are reports that two men accused of being gay were stoned to death in Syria on Tuesday by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis).

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the militant group killed the men in two separate incidents.

The one man in Mayadeen, said to be in his 20s, was apparently found with videos on his phone showing him engaging in “indecent acts” with other men.

An 18-year-old man was also stoned to death in Deir Ezzor city following allegations that he was gay.

According to AFP, activists claimed that the men were targeted because they opposed Isis and that the homosexuality claims were an excuse to kill them

The spread of Isis, which prescribes death for homosexuality, in Syria and Iraq has dramatically worsened the already perilous environment for LGBT people in the region.

Last week, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and other human rights groups reported that the rise of Isis had blocked the main escape route for LGBT Iraqis hoping to flee persecution and violence.

In September, Mambaonline reported on a propaganda video in which an Isis militant equated gay people to animals, drug dealers and paedophiles.

Isis is a proponent of a radical interpretation of Sharia religious law which allows for the execution of people for “morality” crimes, including adultery and homosexuality.

The UN has accused Isis of committing “mass atrocities” and war crimes, with reports of mass executions, ethnic cleansing, torture, mutilation, stonings, beheadings, kidnappings and rape.