Cairo 52
Encyclopedia
The term Cairo 52 refers to the fifty-two men who were arrested on May 11, 2001, aboard a floating gay nightclub called the Queen Boat, which was moored on the Nile
in Cairo
, Egypt
.
. Another two were charged with "contempt of religion" under Article 98f of the Penal Code. All fifty-two men pleaded innocent.
(IGLHRC), the men were subjected to beatings and forensic examinations to "prove their homosexuality". All 52 men were kept for twenty-two hours a day in two cramped cells with no beds.
The trials of the "Cairo 52" lasted five months and the defendants were vilified in the Egyptian media
, which printed their real names and addresses, and branded them as agents against the State. The trials were condemned by international human rights
organizations, members of US Congress and the United Nations
. Lawyers for the defense argued that the cases should be dismissed on the grounds of false arrest
, improper arrest procedures, falsified evidence and police intimidation.
On November 14, 2001, twenty-one of the men were convicted of the "habitual practice of debauchery," one man of "contempt for religion," and another, accused of being the "ringleader," was convicted of both charges and received the heaviest sentence, five years' hard labour
. A fifty-third man, a teenager, was tried in juvenile court and was sentenced to the maximum penalty of three years in prison, to be followed by three years of probation.
In May 2002, those convicted were released pending a second trial; both the guilty and not-guilty verdicts were overturned, provoking international outrage. In July 2002, fifty of the men began a second trial (the other two men had been convicted of contempt for religion, and their sentences were upheld). This trial, held at Qasr-al-Nil Misdemeanors Court in Cairo and presided over by Judge Abdel Karim, the same judge who had presided over the first trial, lasted only fifteen minutes, ending when Karim recused
himself. The trial was then moved to September. The retrial ended in March, 2003. Twenty-one men were handed three-year jail sentences and twenty-nine were acquitted.
, entitled Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World
. The plot of Maher Sabry
's unapologetic film Toul Omry (All My Life) details the lives of gay men in Egypt against the backdrop of the Cairo 52 and the notorious Queen Boat arrests. One of the characters in the film "Kareem" is almost arrested in the police raid on the floating discothèque. The news of the arrests and the follow-up in the media and newspapers is discussed by the characters throughout the film. One of the Cairo 52 men is featured in Parvez Sharma
's documentary A Jihad for Love (2008).
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
Charges
Of fifty-two men arrested, fifty were charged with "habitual debauchery" and "obscene behaviour" under Article 9c of Law No. 10 of 1961 on the Combat of ProstitutionProstitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
. Another two were charged with "contempt of religion" under Article 98f of the Penal Code. All fifty-two men pleaded innocent.
Treatment of Arrest
According to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights CommissionInternational Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission is a US-based international non-governmental organization that addresses human rights violations against lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, intersexuals, transgender people and people with HIV/AIDS...
(IGLHRC), the men were subjected to beatings and forensic examinations to "prove their homosexuality". All 52 men were kept for twenty-two hours a day in two cramped cells with no beds.
Trials
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
, which printed their real names and addresses, and branded them as agents against the State. The trials were condemned by international human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
organizations, members of US Congress and the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. Lawyers for the defense argued that the cases should be dismissed on the grounds of false arrest
False arrest
False arrest is a common law tort, where a plaintiff alleges they were held in custody without probable cause, or without an order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction...
, improper arrest procedures, falsified evidence and police intimidation.
On November 14, 2001, twenty-one of the men were convicted of the "habitual practice of debauchery," one man of "contempt for religion," and another, accused of being the "ringleader," was convicted of both charges and received the heaviest sentence, five years' hard labour
Penal labour
Penal labour is a form of unfree labour in which prisoners perform work, typically manual labour. The work may be light or hard, depending on the context. Forms of sentence which involve penal labour include penal servitude and imprisonment with hard labour...
. A fifty-third man, a teenager, was tried in juvenile court and was sentenced to the maximum penalty of three years in prison, to be followed by three years of probation.
In May 2002, those convicted were released pending a second trial; both the guilty and not-guilty verdicts were overturned, provoking international outrage. In July 2002, fifty of the men began a second trial (the other two men had been convicted of contempt for religion, and their sentences were upheld). This trial, held at Qasr-al-Nil Misdemeanors Court in Cairo and presided over by Judge Abdel Karim, the same judge who had presided over the first trial, lasted only fifteen minutes, ending when Karim recused
Recusal
Judicial disqualification, also referred to as recusal, refers to the act of abstaining from participation in an official action such as a legal proceeding due to a conflict of interest of the presiding court official or administrative officer. Applicable statutes or canons of ethics may provide...
himself. The trial was then moved to September. The retrial ended in March, 2003. Twenty-one men were handed three-year jail sentences and twenty-nine were acquitted.
Cairo 52 in the media
The Cairo 52 were featured in a documentary by After Stonewall Productions, narrated by Janeane GarofaloJaneane Garofalo
Janeane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...
, entitled Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World
Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World
Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World is a 2003 documentary film directed by American filmmaker John Scagliotti about the issues experienced by gay, lesbian and transgender people in developing countries. It was the first documentary film to explore these issues in non-Western...
. The plot of Maher Sabry
Maher Sabry
Maher Sabry is an Egyptian theater director, playwright, film director, producer and screenwriter, poet, writer and cartoonist artist. A gay activist, he was the first director to portray gay and lesbian love in lyrical and sympathetic manner on Egyptian stage...
's unapologetic film Toul Omry (All My Life) details the lives of gay men in Egypt against the backdrop of the Cairo 52 and the notorious Queen Boat arrests. One of the characters in the film "Kareem" is almost arrested in the police raid on the floating discothèque. The news of the arrests and the follow-up in the media and newspapers is discussed by the characters throughout the film. One of the Cairo 52 men is featured in Parvez Sharma
Parvez Sharma
Parvez Sharma is an internationally renowned New York based Indian writer and filmmaker. He is best known for the multiple award winning and acclaimed film A Jihad for Love, on gay and lesbian Muslims....
's documentary A Jihad for Love (2008).