Egypt’s “morality police” arrests seven in latest anti-gay sting

Egypt’s “morality police” arrests seven in latest anti-gay sting

REPORTS have emerged that Egyptian police have arrested seven young people for “debauchery” in the country’s latest anti-LGBTI sting.

Last Friday, pro-Egyptian regime media outlet Al-Youm al-Sabbah (or Youm7), headlined the arrest of seven alleged “transsexuals” the night before.

In the video footage, the newspaper blurred the faces of those who were arrested, but it did not attempt to obscure their identities in a picture it posted on its Facebook page.

Major General Magdy Moussa of the morality police told Youm7 that the seven “perverts” had formed a “network for practicing debauchery” on social media.

While homosexual is not explicitly illegal in Egypt, authorities have used the offence of “debauchery” to intimidate its LGBTI citizens.

Moussa also told Youm7 that police made fake webpages to entrap with the seven victims. In addition, he claimed he had proof they published naked photos.

Police had allegedly arranged to meet the seven young people at a venue on Al-Haram Rd in the tourist-heavy, nightlife-centric Giza district of Cairo, from where they were told they would go to an apartment “to participate in debauchery”.

Instead, they were arrested.

Since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took power in 2013, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights estimates more than 150 people have been netted in the regime’s increased crackdown on its LGBTI citizens.

In November, eight men were jailed for “inciting debauchery” after a video of a supposed gay wedding that they were a part of was posted online.

Meanwhile, the more recent incident of 33 men being arrested at a Cairo bathhouse attracted intense global criticism, even after the men were cleared of their charges in court in January.

H/T Washington Blade

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10 responses to “Egypt’s “morality police” arrests seven in latest anti-gay sting”

  1. I want to pass a law called the “Suppression of Bigoted Horrible Christian Taliban People Act”!

    (1) A person, by a public act, must not incite hatred towards, serious contempt for, or severe ridicule of, a person or a group of persons on the ground of – the disability, HIV status, sexual orientation, marital or relationship status, gender identity or expression or lawful consensual adult sexual activity of the person or any member of the group; and/or

    (2) Any bigot, religious minister, anti-gay activist who under any circumstances uses public resources and/or raves, petitions, encourages, incites, discriminates and/or harasses a member and/or members with a disability and/or who are part of the LGBTI community – has just committed a felony.

    Penalty: Maximum 25 years imprisonment, with a minimum of at least 10 years imprisonment must be served.

    • The Sisi regime has also been hostile to Muslims who have been perceived as being ‘too’ religious.

      Sisi is an authoritarian for classist reasons, not religious reasons.

  2. Fuck! This is just one we are hearing about… I’m sure this goes on all the time in the ME and Russia. Two weeks ago someone was attacked in Israel of all places by a Rigt Wing pig. Good luck kids!