CAIRO (AP) — The judge in the trial of 26 men arrested in Egypt in a televised raid by police looking for gays at a Cairo public bathhouse says he’ll announce a verdict next week after only three hearings.
The judge said Jan. 5 he’ll announce the verdict Jan. 12. Such quick verdicts are common in Egypt’s misdemeanor courts.
The trial has caused an uproar among activists and rights groups. Last month’s raid took an ongoing crackdown on gays in Egypt to a new level, with pictures of half-naked men escorted by police airing on a TV program.
Defense lawyers say the investigation was flawed and based only on one police officer’s testimony.
Same-sex relations are not explicitly prohibited in Egyptian law. The men face various charges including debauchery and performing indecent public acts.
