Egyptians Face Trial on Gay Sex Charges
The Advocate,
June 29, 2001
A total of 52 Egyptian men will stand trial on charges of practicing gay
sex on a floating nightclub on the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt’s state-owned
MENA news agency said Thursday. The case has drawn the attention of Amnesty
International, which said three weeks ago that it is "gravely
concerned," Agence France-Presse reports. The two main defendants stand
accused of "exploiting the Islamic religion to spread extremist
ideas" as well as practicing gay sex "as part of the group’s
rituals in front of the remaining defendants and others with the aim of
insulting the heavenly religions and sparking civil strife." The
remaining 50 defendants are charged with "practicing debauchery with
men," which is interpreted as engaging in homosexual practices. Gay sex
is illegal in Egypt, where Islam is the predominant religion. The men have
been in prison since their arrests and have been subjected to torture or ill
treatment, according to Amnesty officials.
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