Relatives barred from trial of 52 men accused in Egypt gay sex party |
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| CAIRO (AP) — Relatives were
barred Wednesday from attending the trial of 52 men charged with contempt
of religion, debauchery and immoral behaviour after police raided a Nile
boat party where men allegedly were engaging in gay sex.
The case has shocked conservative Egypt and prompted international attention and support from gay rights activists. In Geneva on Wednesday, about 50 people demonstrated just outside UN offices, holding up letters in French that spelled out: “Human Rights in Egypt — Free the 52 Gays.” All of the men pleaded innocent when the trial opened July 18. At that session, families of the defendants scuffled with reporters, accusing them of defaming the defendants. This time, special police forces kept families outside. The trial also was moved to another Cairo courthouse and security was tight at Wednesday's hearing, which focused on a defence request to have another court hear the case. Now, it is being heard in a state emergency court — contempt of Islam, a charge against two defendants, is considered a state security issue. Defence lawyers want the case moved to a regular misdemeanor court. Sherif Farahat and Mahmoud Ahmad Allam have been charged with immoral behaviour, contempt of religion, falsely interpreting the Islamic holy book, the Quran, and exploiting Islam to promote deviant ideas. The rest of the defendants were charged with debauchery and are accused of having gay sex. Egyptian law does not explicitly refer to homosexuality, but a wide range of laws covering obscenity and public morality are punishable by jail terms. The debauchery offence carries a maximum prison sentence of three years. Contempt of religion is punishable by up to five years in jail. Defence attorney Farid Al Dib argued in court Wednesday that the debauchery charge faced by most of the defendants is not punishable by law on the first offence. He argued the defendants had no prior debauchery complaints. Prosecutor Ashraf Hilal told the court authorities had 893 photos with the defendants “practicing debauchery.” Dib requested the defence be allowed to see the photos. The next hearing was scheduled for Aug. 29. The men were arrested on May 11 on a Nile riverboat restaurant. Police originally said they were having a gay sex party, but prosecutors later changed tack and said the group was meeting with a self-styled preacher. Gay men and lesbians long have kept a low profile in Egypt. But many homosexuals say they have grown scared since the boat raid and speak about leaving the country. In the past few years, Internet access has provided the gay community with a forum for discussion and meeting, something that hasn't passed unnoticed. In April, an American University of Cairo student was arrested and charged with committing an indecent act for touting himself on the Internet as a sex partner for interested males. Earlier this year, two other men were convicted of indecent acts for using the Internet to offer gay sex. |
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Relatives Barred From Egypt
Trial 50 people demonstrated outside the U.N. offices in Geneva. The protestors held up signs bearing letters spelling out: "Human Rights in Egypt — Free the 52 Gays." Other protests were held in Vancouver, Stockholm, Washington, and Paris. The effects of an email protest. There are reports that some Egyptian embassies simply disengaged their email programmes for the day. Other reports say the consular emails were so clogged that many emails were returned with the message "undeliverable". Telephone calls by 365Gay.com for an interview with the Egyptian media officer in Ottawa were not returned Wednesday. In Cairo, police barred relatives of the 52 men from entering the court where the trial was to begin. The men were arrested May 11, in a police raid on a floating nightclub in the Nile that functioned as a gay club. They were charged with contempt of religion and immoral behaviour. The trial is being held in a special Emergency State Security Court usually reserved for terrorists. Contempt of Islam is considered a state security issue. Under Egypt's emergency laws, the sentences of the court cannot be appealed. As they entered the court, the 52 were dressed In white prison uniforms and were handcuffed to one another. They were crowded into an iron cage at the side of the room. Lawyers for the men made an application to have the charges reduced and the trial moved to a lower court. A decision is expected August 29. Gay sex acts are not illegal in Egypt, but Islamic law and the undefined law of "debauchery" are often invoked to harass gays. If found guilty of practising debauchery, the men could face up to three years in jail. An application to have the men released from prison while the proceedings continue was denied. Reports indicate that the men have been tortured by police and have undergone physical examinations to determine whether they were sexually active with other men.
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