Skip to main content

Is Egypt verdict a victory for LGBT rights?

An Egyptian court shocked many by acquitting 26 men accused of indecency and debauchery in a high-profile case made infamous by a journalist widely regarded as unethical.
Defendants react after hearing the verdict at a court in Cairo January 12, 2015.  An Egyptian court on Monday ordered the release of 26 men who were detained last month in a raid on a Cairo bath house after police received a tip that they were holding gay orgies."The court has ruled that all the accused are innocent," the judge said.  REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CRIME LAW CIVIL UNREST) - RTR4L2M4

CAIRO — The scene described by lawyers at a Cairo court on Jan. 4-5 evoked classic paintings of Roman orgies. Quoting a police report, they described how 21 out of 26 defendants standing trial on charges of indecency and habitual debauchery had been caught in various sexual positions during a Dec. 7 raid on a public bathhouse.

Photos of these towel-clad, bare-chested men covering their faces as they were led outside the Bab El-Bahr bathhouse made the depiction plausible. TV reporter Mona Iraqi posted these photos on Facebook under the self-congratulatory title of raiding “the largest den of group perversion.”

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.