The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) is calling for a boycott of tourism to Egypt after 52 men were charged with “immoral behaviour” and “contempt of religion” following a party aboard a Nile cruiser.
The men were arrested in Cairo on 11 May 2001 and charged with “immoral behaviour” after it was alleged that they were homosexuals. Amnesty International says that if, in fact, they have been arrested because of their sexual orientation, they must be regarded as prisoners of conscience.
GALHA Secretary George Broadhead said: “This is very disturbing news. We are extremely concerned about the fate of these men and the way they are being treated in detention. We are also concerned that the trial is being heard before an (Emergency) State Security Court for Misdemeanours, an exceptional court that denies defendants the right to a full review before a higher tribunal in violation of Egypt’s international obligations.”
In the light of this blatant flouting of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Egypt is a signatory, we call on all people of conscience to boycott Egypt as a tourist destination, and to refrain from purchasing goods and services from Egypt, until such time as this show trial is called off and these men released.
Mr Broadhead said: “Being gay is not a crime, and no country should seek to make it into one. Sexual orientation is not something that people can choose, and they should not be persecuted on account of it. If these men have committed no other crime than to congregate for mutual support, then it is a scandal that they are on trial, and at risk of heavy prison sentences. No religion should have the power to take away their rights as human beings.”
GALHA has sent a letter of protest to the Egyptian ambassador in London, Mr Adel El-Gazzar (see text below). It is urging its members and supporters throughout the UK to do likewise and those abroad to write to their country’s Egyptian ambassador.
Your Excellency,
We have been disturbed to read reports in the British press, and from Amnesty International, about the trial of 52 men in Egypt, charged with “immoral behaviour” and “contempt of religion.”
We have no information about whether these men are in reality homosexual, or whether this is some kind of show trial, but we are concerned that the judicial process could be used to persecute people on the grounds of their sexual orientation – something over which they can have no control. We are also anxious about the allegations that are reaching us of the torture and ill-treatment of these men, and we seek your reassurance that they will not be subjected to any further physical brutality during their detention.
This present situation seems to bring Egypt into conflict with the several conventions and agreements on human rights to which the country is a signatory. We hope that you will alert the authorities in Cairo to our concerns.
In the meantime, it is our intention to call for a boycott of tourism to your country until such time as it is prepared to abide by universal standards of respect for human rights that are – at least in theory – accepted by Egypt, through its endorsement of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Yours sincerely,
George Broadhead