Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/908437
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2017 News 7 FOREIGN NEWS A court in Cairo found 14 men guilty of "inciting debauchery" and "abnormal sexual rela- tions" yesterday. Another two men were convicted on Mon- day. However, they have report- edly been freed on bail of 5,000 Egyptian pounds ($282; £211) each pending an appeal. The verdict for a 17th man on trial in the same case has been delayed. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) says at least 75 people have been ar- rested since rainbow flags were raised at a concert in the capi- tal on 22 September, provoking a public outcry in the socially conservative country. Only 10 of the arrests are be- lieved to have been related to the flag-raising. Most of the others were entrapped through online dating apps, according to the EIPR. At least five men were subjected to anal exami- nations. Homosexuality is not explic- itly criminalised under Egyp- tian law. Instead, the authorities have relied on a 1961 prostitu- tion law to charge people sus- pected of engaging in consen- sual homosexual conduct with "habitual debauchery". However, Amnesty Interna- tional said earlier this month that more than 60 members of the Egyptian parliament had proposed a law that would criminalise same-sex sexual ac- tivity following the flag-raising incident. The bill defines "homosexual- ity" for the first time and sets penalties of up to five years im- prisonment. "Promoting or in- citing homosexuality" is also punishable by up to five years in prison. But someone convicted on multiple charges under dif- ferent provisions of the law could face up to 15 years in prison. The public promotion or ad- vertising of any lesbian, gay, bi- sexual or transgender (LGBT) gatherings or parties would also be punished by up to three years in prison, as would the display, promotion, sale or mar- keting of LGBT signs. The bill also includes a clause that licenses the authorities to publicly "shame" individuals convicted of a related offence by publishing their names and sentences in national newspa- pers. "This deeply discriminatory bill would be a huge setback for human rights and another nail in the coffin for sexual rights in Egypt," warned Najia Bounaim, Amnesty's North Africa cam- paigns director. The draft bill is expected to be reviewed and discussed by parliament during its current session and if voted for, it would be sent for approval to the Pres- ident. Egypt jails 16 for 'debauchery' as LGBT crackdown continues EIGHT donkey convicts have enjoyed a proud trot to free- dom after they were released from prison. The herd was jailed for four days after being found guilty of destroying 'very expensive plants' outside a prison in Uttar Pradesh, India. As they left Orai jail yester- day, their concerned owner Kamlesh – who had been frantically searching for his livestock after they were locked up – was waiting to meet them. Their bail had been paid by a local politician from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). RK Mishra, head of the jail, said: 'These donkeys had de- stroyed some very expensive plants which our senior of- ficer had arranged for plant- ing inside jail and despite warnings the owner let loose his animals here. So we de- tained the donkeys.' The plants reportedly cost 60,000 rupees (€800). When Kamlesh found out that his donkeys were being held in prison, he pleaded for their release – but his re- quest was denied. He then appealed to the politician to intervene on his behalf. Jail superintendent Sita Ram Sharma, however, re- vealed that the story was more complex. 'There is no such law where- in we can arrest donkeys. They were confined for four days to teach a lesson to their owner who did not pay at- tention to our warnings," he said. 'We let go of the animals on Monday only after Kam- lesh gave us a written affi- davit that from now on he will not allow his animals to roam in residential areas or places of public impor- tance.' Indian court jails eight donkeys for four days 16 men arrested in Egypt last month during a crackdown on homosexuality have been sentenced to three years in prison