Amnesty International Press Release
                               November 14, 2001

Egypt:  Amnesty International Condemns 'Egypt 52' Trial Verdict

                23 Men Jailed for Alleged Sexual Orientation

(Washington, DC) -- Amnesty International today strongly condemned Egypt's

sentencing of 23 allegedly gay men to jail terms of between one and five years,

calling the decision and the prior legal proceedings "egregious on many levels."

"Amnesty International believes that men convicted solely because of their alleged

sexual orientation should be immediately and unconditionally released," said William

F. Schulz, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA (AIUSA). "The proceedings

against these men were egregious on many levels. Not only did their trial likely violate

basic international legal standards, we are also extremely concerned at reports of torture

or ill-treatment during the first few days of detention and the denial of access to families

and attorneys."

The majority of the men were arrested in the early hours of May 11, 2001. On July 18,

the men appeared before the (Emergency) State Security Court for Misdemeanors in

Cairo. All defendants were charged with "obscene behavior between men" and two

were charged with "contempt of religion." However, Amnesty International believes

that the majority, if not all, of these men were detained purely because of their alleged

sexual orientation.

"The arrest and prosecution of these 52 men was a violation of their rights, and the jail

sentences now faced by 23 of them only underscore the severity of Egypt's persecution

of gays and lesbians," said Michael Heflin, Director of AIUSA's OUTfront program.

"We will continue to protest this government harassment that has created a climate of

fear in Egypt's LGBT communities."

Proceedings before this court not only violate defendants' fundamental right to appeal but

also contravene principles of the independence of the judiciary as its verdicts have to be

submitted to the Military Governor, who ultimately decides whether to uphold or quash

the verdict or to order a retrial. Such interference by the executive powers constitutes a

flagrant violation of the UN Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary.

"This case is only one example of the many ways in which Egypt's justice system falls short

ofinternational standards, and thereby fails to protect the rights of Egyptians," said Sharon
Burke, Advocacy Director for the Middle East for AIUSA. "At this critical point in the

Egyptian-US relationship, the Bush Administration has a responsibility and an opportunity

to stress the high cost of repression."

In a related case, a 16-year-old boy, Mahmud, was sentenced by Cairo Juvenile Court

on September 18 to three years' imprisonment for his alleged sexual orientation. He was

reportedly tortured,including being beaten with a stick on the soles of his feet, following his

arrest in May. During the first two weeks of his detention, he was denied the fundamental

right to meet his family or be seen by a lawyer. Confessions extracted from Mahmud during

that period were used as evidence in a trial leading to his conviction. His lawyer claims that

these confessions were extracted under duress and they were later withdrawn. Amnesty

International has adopted Mahmud as a prisoner of conscience and calls for his immediate

and unconditional release.