Tampa Bay Coalition
Eye on GLBT International News
by Zeke
Egyptian Gay Teen Released and 23 Other Men
Remain Imprisoned.
December 19, 2001
The release of Mahmoud Abdel Fatah, 16, from a youth
prison is the first good news to
come
out of Egypt, since the police
crackdown of gay men began early this year. Fatah sentenced to
serve three years at hard labor in a youth prison
after being found guilty by the State Security
Court for "the habitual practice
of debauchery". Although, appeals of sentences handed down by
this special court are not permitted, he was granted
special permission to appeal his sentence.
Claims made by human right
organizations of beatings and torture are believed to be the
reason
an appeal was granted and possibly his release.
Without giving any reason, an Appeals Court in Cairo, reduced his
three year sentence to six
months, which was time he already served. The court
also ordered him to serve
six months of in-house probation.
With his release, Mahmoud and his families pain and
suffering may finally come to an end. We all
can find some solace that their nightmare may also come to
an end. One can only imagine what hell
they must have had to endure these past seven months. We
can only hope the horrific effects of this
tragic injustice on them, will not continue to haunt them
for years to come.
However, even with this great victory for Mahmoud , his
family and friends, our thoughts are still with
the twenty-three gay Egyptian men who remain in prison.
They are serving sentences that run from
one to five years in prison at
hard labor. It is difficult to surely celebrate this victory, knowing they
are
still living their nightmare in hell. With no hope for any
appeals of their sentences handed down by the
State Security Court. Although, homosexuality is not illegal in
Egypt, police continue to make arrests
and gay men continue to be sentenced to
prison. The future for our gay Egyptian brothers remains
perilous. Will the persecution of gay Egyptian at the
whim of the police and religious
zealots ever
going to come to an end?.
For the detailed coverage this tragic injustice against
Gay Egyptian Men, click link;:
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