Six men accused of “committing debauchery” have been sentenced to two years in prison by an Egyptian court today. The men, who included a Moroccan national, were accused of using their apartment for homosexual activities, promoted through Facebook, reported AhramOnline.
The six were among eight men arrested last month after a video featuring what looked like a gay wedding went viral. While Egypt doesn’t have a specific law to prosecute same-sex relationships, the government has been vicious in its crackdown on gays under vague laws such as committing “indecency” and “debauchery.”
According to Human Rights First, Egyptian police have arrested more than than 80 people for the “crime” of being gay/transgender since October 2013.
Egyptian gay activist protesting against the arrest of young men who appeared in the alleged gay marriage video, tweets @TheBigPharaoh. Image Credit: Global Voices
Many Egyptians took to social media to express their anger at the targeting of gay people and this most recent sentence. Under the the hashtag #stopjailinggays and its Arabic translation #ضد_حبس_المثليين, hundreds of people expressed their anger as part of a two-day Twitter and blogging storm to protest “the massive wave of brutal repression of LGBT people.”
The event’s Facebook page states:
“Since the Egyptian government is recently focusing its efforts on monitoring people’s private lives whether in the bedroom or on their facebook accounts, and since the police instead of chasing terrorists are going after people for their sexual orientation and gender identity. From October 2013 until now, the police has arrested more than 80 people for the “crime” of being gay or transgender. Some of these people receive humiliating treatment including physical violence and rape threats inside detention.
The forensic medicine authority conducts anal examinations on these people which is considered sexual assault and a violation of human rights and medical ethics.
They are sentenced for up to 10 years with charges of debauchery which is a vague word.
Because the media has been waging a sensational campaign against LGBT people in Egypt and violate people’s privacy by publishing their names and photos.
because of all of this, on September 24 and 25 we will be tweeting and blogging using the hashtag
#ضد_حبس_المثليين which means Against the Jailing of Gays”
On that Facebook page, Tamer Adel explains the social stigma of being gay in Egypt. He writes:
On Twitter, Sara Labib lashes out at the government, which should scrutinise its own shortcomings instead:
#NoToJailingGays #ضد_حبس_المثليين #مصر #Egypt
The immoral, corrupt government has no place regulating societal morals, anyway or anytime.— Sara لاbib (@SaraLabib) September 25, 2014
Sherif El Ramly notes:
https://twitter.com/Armanossah/status/514577611830599680
And The Big Pharaoh shares this photograph of a gay activist who carries a placard stating his name and position against the jailing of the young men.
https://twitter.com/TheBigPharaoh/status/514912339016298496
The placard [ar] reads:
“I am Asem El-Tawodi. I am not a criminal or ill. I am gay. I am an Egyptian citizen. [I am] someone normal in society. Just like you.”
Such open support for gays in conservative Arab societies is new.
(This article was originally published on Global Voices.)
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