CAIRO -- Following a statement of "grave concern"
issued by Amnesty International earlier this month over the detention of more
than 50 gay men arrested and detained in Cairo, the European Union is reportedly
weighing formal intervention on the prisoners' behalf, the Irish Times reports.
Many of the prisoners -- some of whom are in their late teens -- have been
charged with contempt of religion and immoral behavior. Egyptian law does not
specifically prohibit homosexuality, but the charges of contempt of religion and
immoral behavior are "very broad," according to Amnesty officials.
Amnesty said last week that the men have been subjected to "examinations" to
determine if they had engaged in sodomy, and that they showed signs of having
been tortured since their detention on May 11.
The Egyptian ambassador in Dublin, Ashraf Rashed, told the Irish Times this
week that the men were being treated well and that all their human rights were
being respected. He said that it was wrong to suggest that the arrests were part
of a witch hunt against gay people.
"It's not a matter of being a gay person. You can have the preferences that
you wish. But if your behavior affects other people or affects religion, that's
another matter," he said.
Egyptian officials have hinted that all but two of the men may be released
soon. The remaining two, who ran a gay Internet site, have angered the
authorities by "politicizing their sexuality" and maintaining contacts with gay
rights organizations outside Egypt.
On June 25, the EU and Egypt will sign an association agreement which
includes a clause demanding respect for human rights, including freedom from
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The 15 member-states are
considering a formal approach to Egypt over the arrests and the Commission is
monitoring the case closely.
The publication of the prisoners' names in the Egyptian press means that the
men held will almost certainly face professional ruin whenever they are
released. In many instances detailed information pertaining to the men has been
published, including their names, photos, t places of employment, and in at
least one instance, their home address.
Gay men in Cairo, meanwhile, are said to be destroying computer files,
avoiding the Internet and staying away from gay meeting places. One gay resident
of the city told the Irish newspaper: "People aren't really going out. People
are incredibly paranoid. Everyone is very worried."
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