Doctor jailed for ‘homosexual activity’ in Egypt after creating WhatsApp group for gay men
An unnamed Egyptian doctor has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after a Cairo court found the man guilty of “practicing homosexual activity”.
Investigators in the case revealed the man had founded a WhatsApp text message group to solicit sex with men, and was designed to attract those “who wanted to practice immorality” and “debauchery”, according to local news source Youm7.
After the doctor was reported to “morality police”, the Qasr Al-Nil Court, led by Wael Khedr sentenced the doctor to one year in jail, accompanied by manual labour.
While homosexuality is not technically illegal in Egypt, according to the British government “homosexual acts in public are illegal and homosexuals have been convicted for breaching laws on public decency.”
The latest incident comes as part of a wider crackdown on the country’s LGBT community.
At least 150 LGBTI people have been placed under arrest in Egypt since the military government took power in 2013, with police reportedly setting honey traps for gay men on gay dating apps such as Grindr, according to Gay Star News.
Back in 2014, nine Egyptian men faced prosecution for “inciting debauchery” and “undermining public morals” after appearing in what was reported to be the country’s first gay wedding video.
More stories:
Does Kanye’s new album artwork rip off Madonna?
Justin Bieber gets his bod out on Instagram during rehearsal session