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News > Egypt

Egypt: Journalist Gets Year in Prison For Interviewing Gay Man

  • Al-Gheiti brought the anonymous homosexual man to his talk show on LTC TV in August 2018 to discuss the latter’s lifestyle.

    Al-Gheiti brought the anonymous homosexual man to his talk show on LTC TV in August 2018 to discuss the latter’s lifestyle. | Photo: Twitter: @alghiety

Published 21 January 2019
Opinion

A misdemeanors court in Giza found journalist Mohamed al-Gheiti guilty of incitement to debauchery and immorality.

A journalist in Egypt has been sentenced to a year in prison for “promoting homosexuality” after interviewing a gay man on TV, state media reports.

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A misdemeanors court in Giza found journalist Mohamed al-Gheiti guilty of incitement to debauchery and immorality, contempt of religion, promoting homosexuality and fined him 3,000 Egyptian pounds (US$170).

Al-Gheiti brought the anonymous homosexual man to his talk show on LTC TV in August 2018 to discuss the latter’s lifestyle, previous experience as a sex worker, and his relationships with men.

The TV host, who has criticized homosexuality in the past, was said to have alluded to financial gains and benefits to the gay lifestyle, prosecuting attorneys said, adding that Al-Gheiti will be under close surveillance while in prison.

Almost immediately after the episode aired, the channel was suspended for two weeks by the Supreme Council for Media Regulation on grounds of “professional violations.”

In 2017, the state department had banned the “appearance of homosexuals or promotion of their slogans” as well as prohibited displaying the rainbow flag on public television in a major statewide crackdown.

Although homosexuality is not illegal in the conservative country, many members of the LGBT community are persecuted, arrested, and charged with a variety of crimes from pornography to prostitution and debauchery.

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