EGYPTAIR AND EGYPTIAN TRAVEL BUSINESS TARGETED BY GAY ACTIVISTS AT THE BERLIN TRAVEL MARKET. We received this news release today from a German LGBT group of Amnesty International. [ posted 26 March 2002 ] Berlin 17/18 March 2002: The loud insults and verbal attacks against members of a German lesbian and gay group of Amnesty International showed clearly how upset the representatives of Egypt's travel businesses were. They were obviously deeply embarassed by the pamphlets that were being distributed. These informed guests of Egyptair attending a gala dinner at a top Berlin five star hotel about the recent wave of arrests of gay men in Egypt. The Egyptian travel representatives were caught completely by surprise. Egyptair and the Egyptian Tourist Board had invited several hundred managers of German tour operators and tavel agencies, diplomats and journalists to two gala dinners at some of Berlin's top five star hotels during the Berlin Travel Market ITB, the biggest fair of this kind worldwide held annually in march in the German capital. About a thousand copies of the AI pamphlet made it through the revolving doors and into the hotel ballrooms in the hands of invited guests. "On every face a smile", this new motto of the official publicity campaign of the Egyptain tourist board was also printed on the pamphlets of AI. But in the place of the smiling faces of hospitable Egyptian tour leaders, the photo under this slogan showed the expression of fear in the eyes of young defendants behind the bars of the cage in the Cairo courtroom. The text of the pamphlet explained the basic facts of the "Queen Boat" case. Not even the Egyptian Minister of Tourism, Mamdouh El Beltagui, was able to ignore the AI protest, as his limousine had to go past the banners at walking speed. "You are against Egypt! You are dishonoring our country! Get lost", some Egyptians shouted. few others did not agree with the human rights group, but were ready for dialogue at least. "It wrong to attack Egyptair, we have nothing to do with this", a representative of the airline shouted. As if he felt the need to appologize, he added: "We have three homosexual colleagues in our offices in Germany, and there is no problem at all because of this." He was ommitting the fact, that these men would most probably have lost their jobs and gone to jail, if they worked in the Cairo office of the airline and were known to be gay. An airline official, who preferred not to give his name, did not mince his words: "We want no gay tourists in Egypt, and we are happy when they don't come!" he told German journalist Juergen Bieniek of gay-press.de. SIR ELTON JOHN LENDS HIS SUPPORT TO THE GAY PRISONERS. ACTORS SIR IAN MCKELLEN, EMMA THOMPSON AND MICHAEL CASHMAN ALSO JOIN PROTEST. [ posted 18 March 2002 ] This is a news item published yesterday [ 19 March 2002 ] by the BBC. You can also read the news item by 365gay.com below the BBC article. It is not Sir Elton's first public intervention over gay rights Sir Elton John and the actors Sir Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson have signed a petition protesting at Egypt's treatment of homosexuals. Euro MP and one-time TV actor Michael Cashman organised the protest, which is also being supported by comedians Eddie Izzard, Graham Norton and Maureen Lipman. The campaign asks for the Egyptian Government to set free 23 men given prison sentences for the "habitual practice of debauchery" after they attended a boat party in Cairo. The so-called Cairo 52 case has already attracted criticism from French President Jacques Chirac. The petition is to be handed over to the Egyptian ambassador to the European Union on Tuesday. Mr Cashman, a Labour Euro MP, called on the EU to suspend a trade and aid agreement with Egypt if Cairo failed to pardon the men, or grant them an appeal in the case. He described November's jailings, after a trial of 52 men, as a "flagrant example of persecution of homosexuals". In a statement, he said: "If dialogue fails to achieve a resolution then we must cease aid and trade. We cannot bankroll human rights abuses. "If we do nothing, then we condone these abuses of fundamental rights." And the former EastEnders actor threatened "a worldwide petition, rolling from country to country" if a satisfactory response was not received. The men in the Cairo 52 case were tried by an Emergency State Security Court, after being arrested n a raid on the floating Queen Boat nightclub, known in Cairo as a popular gay venue. The 23 men imprisoned received terms of between one and five years' hard labour, for charges including immoral behaviour and contempt of religion. Homosexuality is not expressedly prohibited by law in Egypt - but is highly taboo. In June 2000, Sir Elton John publicly accused Cardinal Thomas Winning, Scotland's most senior Roman Catholic, of ignorance over homosexuality. Celebrities Call On EU End Aid To Egypt by Jon ben Asher 365Gay.com Newscenter in London [ To visit this news web site click on 365gay.com ] (March 18, London) Elton John is among a group of celebrities calling on the European Union to pressure Egypt to free 23 men imprisoned for being gay. Michael Cashman, a former British soap star, and now a member of the European Parliament said that the EU should cancel a trade and aid accord signed with Egypt last November unless the men are released. The "Association Agreement" between the EU and Egypt is subject to recognition of fundamental human rights - something which Egypt has breached by its treatment of gays, said Cashman Cashman said that international pressure so far had failed to persuade Egypt's President Mubarak to pardon the men. Cashman said he will use a meeting Tuesday between EU officials and the Egyptian ambassador to present a petition signed by the well known celebrities. Egypt's ambassador to Brussels is dismissing the protest, insisting that his country does not outlaw homosexuality. In a letter to an Antwerp-based gay rights group the ambassador claimed that the men were arrested, during a party on a boat on the Nile last summer, because "they not only showed lewd behaviour, but also ate and drank in great abundance". Along with Elton John the protest was signed by actors Sir Anthony Sher, Sir Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, author Margaret Drabble, comedians Eddie Izzard, Graham Norton, and Maureen Lipman. Last year 52 men were arrested and charged with the habitual practice of debauchery. At their trial, 29 were acquitted, but 23 were sentenced to prison with hard labour for between one and five years. Since the trial, arrests of gay men in Egypt have continued. March 11, five more men were sentenced to three years in prison with hard labour for engaging in gay sex. The mass arrests of gays has sparked outrage by gay organizations and civil rights groups. Amnesty International said: "The case documents, including the records of the investigations, the medical reports and the verdict, leave no doubt that the men have been convicted for engaging in consensual relations with other men." EGYPT IS INVITED TO THE MR. GAY WORLD CONTEST 2002. WE ASK THE ORGANIZERS IF EGYPTIANS CAN HOLD A CONTEST OUTSIDE EGYPT. "Gay Egyptians - Your country needs YOU !" xxLord Kitchener [ left ], Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Army 1892 to 1898, would have had little difficulty soliciting handsome men for the cause. [ Posted 15 March 2002 ] Just a few days after the news of the sentencing of the "Damanhour Five" to three years of imprisonment with hard labour, an email arrived in our inbox, which atlast had some cheerful news. Egypt has been invited to participate in Mr Gay World 2002. Not that this news will distract anyone from the campaign to free the prisoners, in fact quite the opposite. We hope that any possible participation by Egypt in the Mr. Gay World Contest would highlight the plight of Egypt's gay community. Imagine the propoganda victory for sexual freedom if an Egyptian managed to win the contest. Just a little ironic then that the hosting company calls itself Propoganda Produktion. However, it goes without saying, that the participation by any Egyptian in the contest will be extremely risky, even assuming they are now outside the country, if the participants ever return to Egypt where they would be liable to be arrested and charged with "bringing Egypt into disrepute" even though every one knows that most Egyptians would be delighted that a handsome Egyptian hulk had become the envy of some half a billion gay men around the world. So we have just now sent a return email to Propoganda Produktion asking them if there is any possibility of arranging for Egyptians to participate outside their country. Surely there must be some way of getting a jaw dropping Mr. Gay Egypt 2002 to the finals ! It would be such great publicity for the cause of gay Egyptians and, needless to say, good publicity for the entire Mr. Gay World Enterprise. Here then is the text of their email addressed to us or any Egyptian capable of organizing our country's participation Dear friends, Propaganda Produktion now has the pleasure to invite your country to the first Mr Gay World Contest on the 26th of October 2002 in Stockholm, the city of the Nobel Prize. We organize Mr Gay Sweden for years and for the first time Mr Gay Germany. Please check www.propaganda.nu and www.mrgaygermany.com If a national Mr Gay contest does not exist in your country, we can help you to organize it. If you are not interested, please forward this e-mail to some organization or company in your country, which might be interested. Worldwide standardized qualifications for contestants are as follows: a. Minimum 18 years of age (proof of age required) b. openly gay c. Available and presentable for media purposes d. Include two photos with application; one face shot and one body shot in underpants or swimsuit. e. Include "CV" with applications, including age, height, weight, occupation and all contact information. f. If selected, contestant will be available for the next level of competition, and for promotional purposes, and also to attend the Mr Gay World Competition. Hope you want to participate. Best regards Peo Månestad Propaganda Produktion SUSPECTED "GAYS" ARE TORTURED AND IMPRISONED WHILE BUSH THANKS MUBARAK "MY GOOD FRIEND." [ Posted 12 March 2002 ] Yesterday, 11 March, the "Damanhour Five" were each sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of close police monitoring. It follows mounting international criticism of Egypt's use of torture, disappearances and arbitrary arrests. The sentencing of the five men, who had been arrested in January after a police raid, came less than a week after Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was entertained in Washington by George Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell. Alleged details of torture in this latest case were given in a recent report by The World Organization Against Torture. According to the report [ read it in full here ], after an initial hearing the suspected "gays" were taken to Damanhour prison were they were met by a "reception party." This involved running a gauntlet of ten guards who beat and kicked the prisoners as they passed, with the encouragement of two onlooking prison officials. Meanwhile, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak received a very different reception in Washington. At a joint statemnt in the relative comfort of the White House press room, on 5 March, Bush called the Egyptian regime "my good friend" and added "I value my friendship with President Mubarak.....The strategic partnership between our two countries is more important than ever." Mubarak was, not surprisingly, equally generous in expressing his affections, calling their discussions "very friendly" and praising the "cooperation and friendship" between Egypt and the United States. WE SAY: The United States is now so obsessed by the logistics of continuing its war against terrorism that it is willing to overlook grave human rights violations in Egypt, including the almost year long clampdown on the gay community. And not only does it overlook them, but by calling Mubarak a personal friend and expressing his gratitude to the regime, the president is encouraging the Egyptian regime to think of itself as above and beyone the reproach of international law. To read a report of the trial by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission click here. IGLHRC CLAIMS DAMANHOUR FIVE WERE TORTURED [ Posted 10 March 2002 ] According to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission [ www.iglhrc.org ], five of the initial the Damanhour eight arrested on 10 January claimed to observers at a provisional court hearing on 4 March that they had been tortured. Their "crime" was highlighted in the press when police claimed they had stormed an appartment to find "the perverts" wearing women's clothes and in compromising positioons. The full IGLHRC report is given below. [ It and other reports also available at www.iglhrc.org ]. On March 4, 2002, five men accused of homosexual conduct faced a judge in Damanhour, Egypt. They were able to tell attendees at the trial chilling stories of beatings and electroshock torture inflicted on them over almost two months of captivity. On the same day, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met with U.S. officials, including President Bush, during a visit to the United States. His hosts lauded him while steadily remaining silent about Egypt's persecution of suspected homosexuals. The trial in Damanhour resumes on March 11. Read the stories of brutality below (in the "Background" section). Write to President Mubarak, and to US and European officials. Demand that Egypt stop the repression and free the "Damanhour five." Call on Egypt's powerful allies to speak out. ACTION A sample letter for Egyptian officials, and another for European and US officials, can be found below. Send e-mail messages to: EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT: His Excellency, President Mohammad Hosni Mubarak E-mail: webmaster@presidency.gov.eg His Excellency, Counsellor Farouk Seif Al Nasr Minister of Justice E-mail: mojeb@idsc1.gov.eg Mr Ahmed Maher Al-Sayad Minister of Foreign Affairs E-mail: minexter@idscl.gov.eg or ForMin@idsc.gov.eg Note: These addresses may be shut down in response to mass e-mails. If so, try resending the message in a few days. EUROPEAN UNION: Mr. Romano Prodi President of the European Commission E-mail: romano.prodi@cec.eu.int Mr. Christopher Patten Member of the European Commission, External Relations E-mail: christopher.patten@cec.eu.int Herr Elmar Brok, Chairman, European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security, and Defense Policy (Germany) E-mail: ebrok@europarl.eu.int Mr Geoffrey Van Orden, Vice-Chairman, European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security, and Defense Policy (United Kingdom) E-mail: gvanorden@europarl.eu.int FRANCE: M. Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic Go to http://www.elysee.fr/ecrire/mail.htm and paste your message into the box M. Lionel Jospin, Prime Minister Go to http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/PM/MAIL.HTM and paste your message into the box M. Hubert Vedrine, Minister of Foreign Affairs hubert.vedrine@diplomatie.fr GERMANY: Herr Gerhard Schroeder, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany E-mail: posteingang@bundesregierung.de , gerhard.schroeder@spd.de Herr Joschka Fischer, Minister of Foreign Affairs E-mail: poststelle@auswaertiges-amt.de UNITED KINGDOM: Rt. Hon. Jack Straw, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs E-mail: strawj@parliament.uk Or go to http://www.fco.gov.uk/feedback.asp and paste your message into the box UNITED STATES: Mr. George W. Bush, President of the United States E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov Mr. Colin Powell, Secretary of State E-mail: secretary@state.gov -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAMPLE LETTERS TO EGYPTIAN OFFICIALS: Your excellency: I am shocked by the continuing persecution of people suspected of consensual homosexual behavior in Egypt. In Damanhour in Al-Beheira governorate, at least eight persons were arrested in January for alleged homosexual behavior. The trial of five of them opened on March 4. There is credible evidence that the men have been subjected to brutal torture through beatings and electroshock during almost two months in jail. Their confessions were clearly forced. They must be released immediately, and this prosecution called to a halt. I am shocked by other reports of police raids on private residences. I am also shocked by reports that police entrap men through the Internet. These abuses must stop. Your government has recently allowed a new trial for Saad Eddin Ibrahim, who was imprisoned for the exercise of his political and civil rights. You should see that he is pardoned immediately--and that the 23 men convicted of homosexual acts on November 14, 2001, who were tried by the same repressive courts, are similarly freed. You should also ensure that all persons now imprisoned or facing trial under Article 9(c) of Law 10/1961 are immediately freed, and that this repressive law is repealed. TO EUROPEAN AND US OFFICIALS: (Please remove last two sentences before pasting into the UK Foreign Office web page text box, to fit character limits) Dear . . . I am shocked that Europe and the United States continue to lavish aid on the government of Egypt despite its repressive policies. Egypt regularly tortures and imprisons men for consensual homosexual behavior. On March 4, while President Mubarak visited the U.S., five men faced a judge in Damanhour, Egypt. They told stories of torture by beatings and electroshock, during almost two months they have spent in jail for alleged homosexual conduct. The persecution of homosexuals is of a piece with the persecution of other groups in Egypt, including non-violent Muslim activists who are jailed and tortured under repressive legislation which conflates dissent with "terrorism." Democracies discredit themselves by turning a blind eye to violence and abuse. I am outraged that President Mubarak receives the praise of Western leaders on the same day that another repressive trial begins. Please strongly condemn Egypt's brutal persecution of homosexual conduct, as well as its suppression of other forms of dissent. Please see that your support for so-called allies worldwide, whoever they may be, is firmly tied to an examination of their human rights records. Human rights must not be detached from a humane foreign policy. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BACKGROUND On January 20, 2002, the opposition newspaper Al-Wafd reported the arrest of a "network of perverts" in Damanhour, the capital of Al-Beheira province, southwest of Alexandria. The newspaper said that eight men had been jailed after police "stormed the apartment" and found the eight defendants "in debauched positions." It also stated that some of the defendants "were wearing gowns and makeup." IGLHRC has now learned that the accused were arrested on January 15, under a warrant issued January 11. While eight men may initially have been jailed, only five are now on trial; others may have bribed their way out of the case. The case file (Damanhour Court of Misdemeanors, no. 2190/2002) claims that Major Amir Nigm and Captain Hossam Abdou of the Damanhour police arrested four other men in the apartment of the first defendant. The defendants are (IGLHRC will not release surnames): 1. Yasser Ahmed F. 2. Mansour Hassan M. 3. Ali Rizq M. 4. Mohamed Ahmed H. 5. Samir Mahmoud A. The defendants and the lawyer representing Yasser F., however, tell a different story from the case file's. According to them, only Yasser and one other defendant were arrested at the apartment; another was seized at his own home while two were picked up from the street. They say that three other men were initially arrested as well, along with two women. The defendants say their arrest was part of a police sweep for "perverts" in the wake of a murder case. After a retired army officer was murdered, an autopsy showed he had been "used"--i.e., had been a passive partner in anal sex. Police found Yasser F.'s number in the man's address book; Yasser was arrested, and others were brought into the case on the same grounds or on other pretexts. (A distorted version of this found its way into the Al-Wafd account, which claimed that police seized "an address book containing the names and addresses of a large number of perverts" in Yasser F.'s apartment.) The five other detainees were released with no charge; only those listed above remained in detention. However, no one was accused of implication in the murder. The killing became an excuse for police to pursue charges of "debauchery." The defendants say they were held for the first four days after their arrest at the Damanhour Police Station Number One lockup. At least two defendants were tortured with electrical shocks there. On the fifth day they were taken to the Beheira Security Directorate, where officers beat them harshly. On the sixth day, they appeared before the Damanhour public prosecutor Yaseen Zaghloul; defendants say they were also beaten there. At the March 4 session, one junior prosecutor informally stated that he was sorry he personally had not been assigned to interrogate the defendants. However, he boasted that, at the January hearing, he had all the men brought to his office, where he ordered them to chant in unison: "We are faggots [khawalat]. We are whores. We like to be fucked." Under pressure of repeated beatings, all the defendants confessed to having had sex with different men on different occasions--one legal definition of the "habitual practice of debauchery," with which they were charged under Article 9c of Law 10/1961 on the Combatting of Prostitution. This is the same provision under which the "Cairo 52" and subsequent arrestees were jailed. In addition the men were charged with operating a house for the purpose of debauchery, under Articles 8 and 10 of the same law. Only Yasser F. was directly interrogated; the others signed interrogation forms which they were not allowed to read. No defense counsel was allowed to attend. The Public Prosecutor ordered them detained for 4 more days, then after that for an additional 45. The five were referred for a forensic medical examination, which found they had been "used." After the first hearing before the Public Prosecutor, the five were moved to the Damanhour Prison. On their first day there, two prison officials and 10 guards entered their cell. Each defendant was beaten harshly by two guards under the supervision and instruction of the officials. (Called the "reception party," this practice has been documented by local human rights groups as a widespread practice in Egyptian prison). The defendants were then separated and kept in solitary confinement until a date was assigned for their trial. Prison officials denied their requests to be kept together in one cell. One difficulty faced by pre-trial detainees in Egypt is obtaining legal representation: only the detainee himself or immediate family can sign documents authorizing representation, a right denied to NGOs, friends, and others. However, the prisoner obviously has severely restricted contact with the outside world; and in cases, such as this one, where stigma and shame are severe, relatives may sever relations with the defendant--or the defendant may wish to conceal the case from them. Yasser F. was able to hire his own attorney. Another attorney whom activists in Cairo had hired to investigate the case was repeatedly rebuffed by local officials. On January 23 the chief inspector of the Damanhour police, identified only as Yaseen Bey, refused to share information or show him the police report. The secretary at the police station said to the attorney, "dol mosh fujur ya austaz dool khawalat" [it is not a case of "debauchery" but of faggots]. Officials closed the January 26 hearing at which the defendants' detention was extended for 45 days. The attorney was barred from attending, and a prosecutor told him, "I have orders to be extra careful in this particular case." In the meantime, a sensational press campaign began, mirroring the vilification of the "Cairo 52" defendants. On January 28, the national paper Al-Osboa published what purported to be the "Beheira Perverts Organization Ringleader's Confession," recounting how he and his confederates "plotted ways and means which would lead us to our fellow-perverts." The article included initials, ages, and employment details of most of the accused. The March 4 hearing in this case was held in advance of the 45 days previously scheduled. The presiding judge, Mohamed Moktar, may have moved the date forward to interfere with the defence. A new hearing will be held on Monday, March 11. For more information on the links between human rights abuses and US/European aid, see IGLHRC's February 7, 2002 alert, "Egypt: New Convictions in Cairo: US and Europe Bankroll Brutality Abroad," at http://www.iglhrc.org/world/africa/Egypt2002Feb.html. OUTRAGE AS U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT PRAISES EGYPTIAN MILITARY COURTS INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTE JOINS WITH AL FATIHA AND AMNESTY U.S.A. IN SLAMMING THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION. [ Posted 5 March 2002 ] Last year there was no surprise when the U.S. State Department annual report on the state of human rights worldwide remarked on the absence of due process in the now commonplace use of military courts in Egypt. However, since 11 September we have seen the United States increasingly turn a blind eye to many human rights abuses in countries seen as potential allies in the war against terrorism, but even so no one suspected this year's U.S. State Department Report to actually compliment Egypt's military courts, which have increasingly been used to imprison people considered a "threat to national security." It was a State Security Court, sharing many of the arbitrary procedures of Egypt's military courts including the lack of any right of appeal, which was used to obtain the recent conviction of twenty three gay men on 14 November last year. In the year 2000 a civil court had thrown out a similar case. But to the astonishment of human rights observers, yesterday's report [ 4th March ], coming soon after the U.S. has itself decided to use military tribunals against suspected members of Al-Qaida, sounded almost approving in its' comments. "Nonetheless, judges have guidelines for sentencing, defendants have the right to counsel, and statements of the charges against defendants are made public." This totally ignores the fact that in The Queen Boat case last year where the defendants were tried in front of a state security court, many lawyers were too afraid even to put themselves forward to defend the accused. If the U.S. State Department was the sole judge of justice even Hitler's "hanging judge" Roland Freisler would have had few worries. His court proceedings were "made public", indeed they were broadcast on the radio, and Freisler himself received "guidelines" direct from the Fuhrer. Perhaps it wouldn't have even mattered if in The Queen Boat case one of the defendants' lawyers had stood up in court and announced "Heil Mubarak. Please release me from this case." It was also unfortunate that the long U.S. State Department Report on Egypt only made very brief passing references to the crackdown on gays and sexual freedom in Egypt. Below we have reproduced the report and have colour coded it. Red for direct references to gay issues and sexuality, italics for complimentary or positive remarks and bold for critical [ often damning ] comments. You will notice that almost every daming remark, whether on freedom of expression, torture or arbitrary arrest is almost always immediately followed by some praiseworthy remark or "positive" comment which in many cases seems either irrelevant or undeserved, almost like some defense lawyer desperately fishing for scant mitigating circumstances in apology for a remorseless murder. Having said all that, and despite obvious attempts to soft peddle criticism of Egypt, the report still makes for horific reading, especially the section on the use of torture by Egypt's police and security forces. You can go straight to read the full report by clicking on U.S. State Department Report in Full or first read the following International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Committee Press Release [issued today 5 March] Activists Slam Bush Administration During Mubarak Visit Demand the U.S. Condemn Repression of Homosexuals in Egypt For Immediate Release: March 5, 2002 For additional information, contact: Faisal Alam, Al-Fatiha +1-202-223-3738, gaymuslims@yahoo.com Sharon Burke, Amnesty International, +1-202-544-0200, sburke@aiusa.org Sydney Levy, IGLHRC, +1-415-577-8680 (cell), sydney@iglhrc.org WASHINGTON DC - Gay and human rights activists criticized the Bush Administration today for failing to raise human rights concerns with President Mubarak during his March 4-5 visit to the United States. "Our President met with the Egyptian President on the very day that the State Department released a devastating report about Egypt's human rights record," said Sharon Burke of Amnesty International USA, "And yet the issue apparently never even came up." Yesterday, the U.S. State Department released its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001. The report acknowledges the "Cairo 52" case, in which last November an Egyptian State Security Emergency court sentenced 23 allegedly homosexual men to prison terms ranging from one to five years. "We have documented a growing pattern of arrests and sham trials in Egypt, of people suspected of homosexuality," stated Scott Long, Program Director at the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC). "At the same time, the United States government has rewarded Egypt with a multi-billion dollar aid package. How will our government now translate its own human rights report into action?" Long noted that March 4th was also the opening day of a trial of five allegedly gay men in the provincial city of Damanhour. The five men may face three years imprisonment for alleged consensual homosexual conduct. The Damanhour trial comes after a year marked by brutal arrests, allegations of torture, hard labor sentences and sensationalized trials of suspected homosexuals in Egypt. "We will be leafleting on March 5th in front of the Ritz Carlton, where President Mubarak will be speaking, in order to highlight the human rights abuses committed by the Egyptian government," stated Faisal Alam, director of Al-Fatiha, a group of Muslim lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. "President Mubarak needs to know that his policies of persecuting homosexuals will not go unchallenged," noted Alam. Information on the leafleting: WHAT: Leafleting President Mubarak's luncheon at the Council on Foreign Relations, in order to highlight human rights abuses against presumed homosexuals in Egypt. Copies of the U.S. State Department report on human rights in Egypt as well as other materials documenting the persecution of homosexuals in Egypt will be distributed as well. WHO: Representatives of Amnesty International and Al-Fatiha. WHEN: Tuesday, March 5, 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM WHERE: Ritz Carlton Hotel, 1150 22nd Street, NW (Between L and M), Washington DC Background Information: For IGLHRC's updated action alert, see http://www.iglhrc.org/world/africa/Egypt2002Mar.html For background information on the US support of Egypt and for detailed information on all known cases of persecution of homosexuals, see http://www.iglhrc.org/news/press/pr_020212.html For specific information in the Damanhour trials, see http://www.iglhrc.org/news/press/pr_020212.html The first court hearing on this case took place March 4, where only five of the defendants were present. The case was adjourned until March 11. Al-Fatiha is an international organization dedicated to Muslims who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning (LGBTQ) and their friends. IGLHRC is a US-based non-profit, non-governmental organization that works to protect and advance the human rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status. Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement that promotes and defends human rights. www.amnestyusa.org ### International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission 1360 Mission Street, Suite 200 o San Francisco, CA 94103 USA T: 1.415.255.8680 F: 1.415.255.8662 E: iglhrc@iglhrc.org http://www.iglhrc.org |