Egypt sentences four men to prison for "gay acts"

BBC is reporting that four men have been convicted and sentenced to time in prison for up to eight years.


Egypt does not have specific laws banning homosexuality, but prosecutors use laws on the books that criminalize "debauchery" as a work around.

One man received three years and hard labor in prison, while the other three men received sentences of eight years.  They were apparently accused of holding "deviant parties" and wearing makeup.

From BBC:

US-based Human Rights First group said it was "alarmed and disappointed" at the verdicts.

"Egypt is a bellwether state in the Arab region; what happens in Egypt sets a trend for developments throughout the Arab world," it said in a statement.

The group said that since the ousting of President Mohammed Morsi in July 2013 there has been a rise in the number of arrests of people based on their sexual orientation.