DOZENS of LGBT people are said to have been detained in crackdown after rainbow flags were waved at Cairo rock concert.
So far 57 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have been detained, according to a Cairo-based rights group, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.
The current spike in arrests is part of an ongoing climate of repression against the LGBT people in the country, where government repression, including online surveillance, entrapment and abuse in detention is common.
The crackdown followed a concert by the Lebanese band Mashrou’ Leila on September 22, where concertgoers raised rainbow flags in support of lead singer, Hamed Sinno, one of the very few openly gay performers in the Middle East.
The band said in a statement: “The [Egyptian] state apparatus is hellbent on executing the most atrocious of human rights violations.”
In the days after the concert, seven people were arrested accused of “promoting sexual deviancy”. One man was immediately given a six-year prison sentence. Six were forced to undergo anal examinations, according to Amnesty International.
LGBT rights groups say this latest wave of arrests is part of a long campaign that began after Abdel Fatah al-Sisi became president in 2013, and estimate that more than 300 people had been arrested.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel