{"id":13495,"date":"2017-10-10T14:00:50","date_gmt":"2017-10-10T12:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afteegypt.org\/%d8%aa%d8%ad%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b6%d9%88%d8%a1\/2017\/10\/10\/13495-afteegypt.html"},"modified":"2017-10-10T14:15:58","modified_gmt":"2017-10-10T12:15:58","slug":"human-rights-organizations-condemn-the-crackdown-on-individuals-based-on-their-perceived-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/afteegypt.org\/en\/advocacy-en\/joint-statements-en\/2017\/10\/10\/13495-afteegypt.html","title":{"rendered":"Human rights organizations condemn the crackdown on individuals based on their perceived sexual orientation and gender identity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Human rights organizations condemn the crackdown on individuals based on their perceived sexual orientation and gender identity<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

It criticizes the state\u2019s disregard for the Constitution and the violation of the rights of individuals to privacy and bodily integrity<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The undersigned human rights organizations staunchly denounce the Interior Ministry\u2019s crackdown on gay men, trans people and individuals the Egyptian state perceives to be LGBTQ+, which began after several young men and women raised a rainbow flag at a concert on September 22. Fifty-seven people have since been arrested, most of whom are being tried by misdemeanor courts in Cairo and Giza on charges of \u201cdebauchery.\u201d Ten of these individuals have already been handed sentences ranging from one to six years in prison. Two activists have also been interrogated by State Security Prosecution on charges of waving the flag, \u201cjoining an outlawed group that aims to promote homosexuality,\u201d among other charges.<\/p>\n

The signatories affirm that the methods used to arrest these individuals\u2014whether through electronic entrapment on online dating sites or through pursuit of them in areas thought to be sites frequented by gay people or individuals with sexual orientations and gender identities not widely accepted by Egyptian society\u2014constitute a flagrant violation of the rights of Egyptian citizens to privacy, freedom of expression and control over their own bodies. The sexual orientation of individuals, their identities and their personal practices fall firmly within the scope of their own private affairs, and in no way concern the state.<\/p>\n

The state has no right to interfere in the private lives of people, except in cases involving violence, minors or non-consensual acts. While the police continue to hunt down dozens of gay people, or men who have sex with other men, using vague legal provisions to punish individuals who have not committed any crimes, the judicial system has failed to invest the equivalent amount of effort into investigating and prosecuting cases of female circumcision, child marriage and domestic violence, all of which are serious crimes committed against hundreds of thousands of girls and women each year. This speaks to a state of affairs that drives us to seriously question the priorities of the Interior Ministry at this time, especially concerning gender-based violence.<\/p>\n

The organizations also strongly condemn the incendiary role of the media, which has raced to vilify LGBTQ+ individuals by portraying them as a threat to society through misinformation and hate speech. The signatories express their disbelief that this level of explicit provocation has been allowed to take place at a time of unprecedented restriction on freedom of opinion and expression, as dozens of news outlets and human rights websites that expose state violations or are critical of the government continue to be blocked. As such, we call on all media personalities and members of the press to commit to journalistic integrity and professionalism, to respect the privacy of individuals and not to be driven by incitement to deprive individuals of dignity because of personal practices.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the current crackdown constitutes one vicious wave within a broader ongoing campaign targeting Egypt\u2019s LGBTQ+ community, with the number of individuals arrested in Egypt since 2013 now approaching 300 people<\/a>. The signatories call on the Egyptian state, and specifically the police, to stop pursuing individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity and to stop punishing personal practices that do not harm other citizens. They also call for the immediate release of those arrested during this crackdown, drawing attention to the fact that physical and psychological harm may be inflicted during interrogation, detention or prosecution. The signatories especially criticize violations disguised as medical procedures, such as so-called forced \u201canal examinations\u201d performed by forensic examiners, which have been repeatedly rejected by all international conventions and are considered a grave violation of individuals\u2019 rights to bodily integrity.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The signatories demand the following:<\/p>\n