OUTRAGE AS TONY BLAIR HOLIDAYS IN EGYPT At his party's last annual conference, Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair declared that from now on human rights would be right at the centre of British foreign policy but now it seems he and his family have chosen to go on a secret holiday to Egypt despite the calls from human rights groups for tourists to boycott the country following the hard labour sentences imposed on dozens of Egyptian men for the alleged homosexuality. As early as this morning [Thursday 27 December] Tony Blair's office was insisting the Prime Minister was staying in Britain for a quiet Christmas and New Year whereas in fact he had already arrived in Egypt for a two centre holiday in Cairo and Sharm El-Sheik. At Sharm he is believed to be staying at a luxury five star hotel - possibly the Ritz Carlton or Conrad. Human rights groups are outraged at the decision. On 14 November 23 men were sentenced to terms of between one and two years prison with hard labour for their alleged sexual orientation and/or their views on sexual freedom. Amnesty, the international gay muslim group Al Fatiha and GayEgypt.com have all condemned the Egyptian government. A few days ago 114 french MPs also added their voice to the growing chorus of international criticism [see below]. 114 French Deputies Sign Letter Demanding the Release of the 23 Prisoners On 21st December 114 members of the French Parliament of all political persuasions, both left and right, signed a letter sent to President Mubarak demanding the release of the twenty three men imprisoned since May for their alleged sexual orientation or espousing views on sexual freedom supposedly contrary to Islam. The number of MPs signing is twice the number of US members of Congress who signed a similar letter in August. It is further evidence that the imprisonment of these innocent men will continue to cause serious problems for Egypt's diplomatic and economic relations with Europe and the United States. Human Rights and gay groups are also concerned about reports of recent disappearances and prison sentences including two students sentenced a week ago for allegedly soliciting sex on the internet. Altogether GayEgypt.com knows of atleast 29 men currently in custody on account of their alleged sexual oreintation but the true figure is likely to amount to hundreds if not thousands. A full list of the signators from the French parliament follows. LISTE DES DEPUTES SIGNATAIRES : Yvon ABIVEN - App. PS (Finistère) Stéphane ALAIZE - PS (Ardèche) Damien ALARY - PS (Gard) Didier ARNAL - PS (Val d'Oise) Jean-Marie AUBRON - PS (Moselle) Roselyne BACHELOT NARQUIN - RPR (Maine et Loire) Dominique BAERT - PS (Nord) Jean-Pierre BALDUYCK - PS (Nord) Alain BARRAU - PS (Hérault) Henri BERTHOLET - PS (Drôme) Léon BERTRAND - RPR (Guyane) Gilbert BIESSY - PC (Isère) Bernard BIRSINGER - PC (Seine-Saint-Denis) Emile BLESSIG - UDF (Bas-Rhin) Serge BLISKO - PS (Paris) Patrick BLOCHE - PS (Paris) Jean-Marie BOCKEL - PS (Haut-Rhin) Jean-Claude BOIS - PS (Pas de Calais) Maxime BONO - PS (Charente Maritime) Danielle BOUSQUET - PS (Côtes d'Armor) Jean-Paul BRET - PS (Rhône) Alain CALMAT - App. PS (Seine-Saint-Denis) Christophe CARESCHE - PS (Paris) Patrice CARVALHO - PC (Oise) Henry CHABERT - RPR (Rhône) Jean-Paul CHANTEGUET - PS (Indre) Gérard CHARASSE - RCV (Allier) Michel CHARZAT - PS (Paris) Didier CHOUAT - PS (Côtes d'Armor) Alain CLARY - PC (Gard) Marie-Françoise CLERGEAU - PS (Loire Atlantique) Pierre COHEN - PS (Haute Garonne) Monique COLLANGE - PS (Tarn) Camille DARSIERES - App. PS (Martinique) Philippe DECAUDIN - PS (Vienne) Marcel DEHOUX - PS (Nord) Jean DELOBEL - PS (Nord) Jean-Jacques DENIS - PS (Meurthe et Moselle) Bernard DEROSIER - PS (Nord) Paul DHAILLE - RCV (Seine Maritime) Laurent DOMINATI - DL (Paris) Renaud DONNEDIEU de VABRES - UDF (Indre et Loire) Brigitte DOUAY - PS (Nord) Julien DRAY - PS (Essonne) Tony DREYFUS - PS (Paris) Jean-Paul DUPRE - PS (Aude) Jean-Paul DURIEUX - PS (Meurthe et Moselle) Claude EVIN - PS (Loire-Atlantique) Alain FABRE PUJOL - PS (Gard) Albert FACON - PS (Pas de Calais) Nicole FEIDT - PS (Meurthe et Moselle) Jean-Jacques FILLEUL - PS (Indre et Loire) Michel FRANCAIX - PS (Oise) Bernard GRASSET - PS (Charente Maritime) Michel GREGOIRE - PS (Drôme) Maxime GREMETZ - PC (Somme) Odette GRZEGRZULKA - PS (Aisne) Jacques GUYARD - PS (Essonne) Georges HAGE - PC (Nord) Michel HERBILLON - DL (Val de Marne) Jacques HEUCLIN - PS (Seine et Marne) Michel HUNAULT - RPR (Loire Atlantique) Claude JACQUOT - PS (Vosges) Serge JANQUIN - PS (Pas de Calais) Patrick JEANNE - PS (Seine Maritime) Jean-Noël KERDRAON - PS (Finistère) Christian KERT - UDF (Bouches du Rhône) Jean-Pierre KUCHEIDA - PS (Pas de Calais) Conchita LACUEY - PS (Gironde) Christine LAZERGES - PS (Hérault) André LEBRUN - PS (Nord) Jean LE GARREC - PS (Nord) Jean-Marie LE GUEN - PS (Paris) Guy LENGAGNE - RCV (Pas de Calais) François LEOTARD - UDF (Var) Michel LIEBGOTT - PS (Moselle) Martine LIGNIERES CASSOU - PS (Pyrénées Atlantique) Lionel LUCA - App. RPR (Alpes Maritimes) Noël MAMERE - RCV (Gironde) René MANGIN - PS (Meurthe et Moselle) Jean-Michel MARCHAND - RCV (Maine et Loire) Daniel MARCOVITCH - PS (Paris) Marius MASSE - PS (Bouches du Rhône) Guy MENUT - PS (Var) Jean-Pierre MICHEL - RCV (Haute Saône) Hélène MIGNON - PS (Haute Garonne) Gabriel MONTCHARMONT - PS (Rhône) Bernard NAYRAL - PS (Hérault) Alain NERI - PS (Puy de Dôme) Bernard OUTIN - PC (Loire) Daniel PAUL - PC (Seine Maritime) Jacques PELISSARD - RPR (Jura) Geneviève PERRIN GAILLARD - PS (Deux Sèvres) Annette PEULVAST - PS (Yvelines) Catherine PICARD - PS (Eure) Etienne PINTE - RPR (Yvelines) Jean PONTIER - RCV (Ardèche) Jean-Pierre PUJOL - PS (Gers) Dominique RAIMBOURG -PS (Loire Atlantique) Jacques REBILLARD - RCV (Saône et Loire) Alfred RECOURS - PS (Eure) Jean-Luc REITZER - RPR (Haut Rhin) Michèle RIVASI - App. PS (Drôme) Jean-Claude ROBERT - PS (Côte d'Or) Chantal ROBIN RODRIGO - RCV (Hautes Pyrénées) Jean ROUGER - PS (Charente Maritime) Rudy SALLES - UDF (Alpes Maritime) Georges SARRE - RCV (Paris) Bernard SEUX - PS (Pas de Calais) Michel TAMAYA - PS (Réunion) André VAUCHEZ - PS (Jura) Alain VEYRET - PS (Lot et Garonne) Alain VIDALIES - PS (Landes) Philippe VUILQUE - PS (Ardennes) Teenager Mahmoud Free at Last ! This news just in from iglhrc Press Release: International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission Egypt: Teenager Released from Jail After His Sentence Is Reduced on Appeal New Hope for Remaining Men In Prison Because of Presumed Homosexuality For Immediate Release: December 19, 2001 For additional information, contact: Sydney Levy, +1-415-255-8680 (office), +1-415-577-8680 (cell), sydney@iglhrc.org SAN FRANCISCO - Egyptian courts have reduced on appeal the sentence of a teenager, convicted of "the habitual practice of debauchery" because of his presumed homosexuality, to six months jail and six months probation. Jailed over six months ago in May, Mahmoud was released from jail to serve his probation. "This is a tremendous victory for Mahmoud and his family," said Scott Long, Program Director at the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC). "Maybe the Egyptian government is starting to get the message that the arrest and torture of people for their presumed homosexuality must stop." Mahmoud was delighted to be released, but remains concerned about the terms of his probation. He joined his family, who was present at the hearing today, and plans to go back home to his village. After his arrest May 10, Mahmoud was convicted September 18 by the Cairo Juvenile Court and sentenced to the maximum penalty allowed by law: three years in jail and three years probation. His case was riddled with irregularities and allegations of torture. No reason was given by the court today for the reduction of his sentence on appeal. "We still have 23 men serving hard labor sentences, and at least 4 more arrested and in detention since early November," added Mr. Long. "We need to keep up our pressure." The 23 men are part of the Cairo 52 group, sentenced November 14 by an Emergency State Security Court to one to five years of hard labor. These sentences cannot be appealed, but they can be overturned by the direct intervention of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Despite international pleas, the Egyptian government has refused so far to pardon them. (See background information below). 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. To access the IGLHRC web site please visit iglhrc.org Two Egyptian students jailed for gay sex offer This news just in from CNN December 18, 2001 Posted: 4:30 PM EST (2130 GMT) CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Two Egyptian university students have been convicted of offering gay sex on the Internet and sentenced to one year in prison, judicial officials said Tuesday. The Boulaq misdemeanor court on Thursday convicted Sherif Abu Bakr, from the Cairo engineering college, and Khaled Mohammed, from the science college, of indecent acts. The two were charged with setting up a Web site offering gay sex for 100 Egyptian pounds per hour, the officials said on condition of anonymity. A security agent, posing as an interested gay, arranged a meeting with the students at a five-star hotel, where the two were arrested, the officials said. Egyptian law does not explicitly refer to homosexuality, but a wide range of laws covering obscenity and public morality are punishable by jail terms. The debauchery offense carries a maximum prison sentence of three years. Last month, an Egyptian court convicted 23 alleged homosexuals of debauchery and contempt of religion. They were arrested in May on a Nile boat restaurant. Gay cases have shocked conservative Egypt and prompted international attention and support from gay rights activists who have demonstrated in Geneva and in Stockholm against gay trials in the country. |