Egypt: Second anniversary of the Queen Boat case

On March 15, 2003, the Qasr al-Nil district criminal court in Cairo convicted 21 of the 50 men on charges of "habitual debauchery" (obscene behavior between men) and were given the maximum sentence of three years imprisonment and hard labor. Amnesty International believes that the majority, if not all, of these men were convicted purely on the grounds of their sexual orientation. Amnesty International considers people imprisoned solely on the basis of their sexual orientation prisoners of conscience and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.