Egyptian Men Plead Innocent to Gay Charges
The Advocate, July 19, 2001
Protesting and sobbing, 52 Egyptian men pleaded innocent Wednesday to
charges of debauchery and having gay sex. Occupying one side of the packed
courtroom, the men, handcuffed and dressed in white T-shirts and trousers,
cursed and screamed as the prosecutor read the charges. Prosecutor Ashraf
Hilal told the state security court that two of the men, Sherif Frarhat and
Mahmoud Ahmed Allam, are charged with contempt of religion; falsely
interpreting the Koran, Islam’s holy book; and exploiting Islam to promote
deviant ideas. They’re also charged with immoral behavior. The other men are
charged with debauchery and gay sex. Contempt of religion is punishable by up
to five years in jail. The debauchery offense carries a maximum sentence of
three years in jail.
International human rights groups have condemned the May arrests, with some
charging that the defendants were targeted for allegedly being gay. 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
defendants were arrested on a Nile River boat restaurant. Police said they
were holding a gay sex party. Prosecutors later changed tack and said the
group was meeting with a self-styled preacher.
"We only want mercy," cried one defendant over the din of wailing
family members in the courtroom. "We’ve been detained without any
evidence against us," yelled another.
The case has caused controversy in Egypt, where homosexuality is regarded
as a sin. Some newspapers have published names and photos of some of the
defendants in graphic articles detailing the arrests. Many of the defendants
covered their faces with towels or tissues as they entered the courtroom
Wednesday to avoid the cameras. Relatives and families clashed with reporters,
accusing them of defaming the defendants. One of the accused, Mohammed Ibrahim,
said he was beaten by police during his arrest at a gym where he works as a
trainer. While in custody he underwent an examination to determine whether he
had engaged in gay sex, he told reporters. Defense lawyer Abdel Sattar el-Sani
said his client, university professor Mohammed Mahmoud Mourad, is not gay and
was arrested while driving his car. "Society rejects homosexuality. Had
my client been gay, I wouldn’t have defended him. Homosexuality is against
religion," el-Sani said.
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