The Cairo 52 were fifty-two men arrested on May 11, 2001, aboard a floating gay nightclub called the Queen Boat, which was moored on the Nile in Cairo, Egypt.
<!-- Unsourced image removed: thumb|280px|Ashraf Zanati, one of the Cairo 52, who later fled to [[Vancouver, BC, Canada.]] -->
Charges
Of fifty-two men arrested, fifty were charged with "habitual practice of debauchery" and "obscene behaviour" under Article 9c of Law No. 10 of 1961 on the Combating of Prostitution. 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 Commission, the men were subjected to beatings and forensic examinations to "prove their homosexuality". All fifty-two men were kept for twenty-two hours a day in two cramped cells with no beds.
Trials
thumb|right|250px|The Queen Boat
The trials of the Cairo 52 lasted five months. 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 U.S. 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. During the trial, homosexuality was characterized as "un-Egyptian".
Cairo 52 in the media
The Cairo 52 were featured in a documentary by After Stonewall Productions, narrated by Janeane Garofalo, entitled Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World. Egyptian director Maher Sabry's film Toul Omry (All My Life) was inspired by the events. One of the Cairo 52 men is featured in Parvez Sharma's documentary A Jihad for Love (2008).
References
- "Sir Elton joins Egypt gay protest." BBC. Monday 18 March 2002.
- Long, Scott. "Cairo 52 sentencing today." (Archive) Q. Daily Mail & Guardian. November 14, 2001.
- Interview with Film Maker Maher Sabry on his Cairo 52 film. (Archive) National Sexuality Resource Center, San Francisco State University.
- "Egyptian rights group 'cannot protect gays'." BBC. Monday 11 February 2002.
- "Uneasy alliances." (Editorial) The Boston Phoenix. August 22–29, 2002. - Mentions Cairo 52 in regards to U.S. foreign policy.
Gilligan, Heather Tirado. "Panel: Horrific conditions for gays in Egypt." (Archive) Bay Area Reporter. June 5, 2008.