Egypt's parliament could criminalize homosexuality following a bill introduced by a member of parliament this week, the Egypt Independent reports:
MP Ryad Abdel Sattar on Wednesday introduced to the parliament's speaker Ali Abdel Aal a draft law entailing five main articles to criminalize homosexuality.
The draft law would pave the way for strict punitive measures against the LGBT community in Egypt, in addition to restricting the presence of homosexuals inside Egyptian society, Abdel Sattar said in media statements dedicated to local outlets.
The draft law has received approval from a number of the parliament's members who asserted their readiness to approve it — the draft law is expected to be discussed inside the parliament after being reviewed by the speaker Ali Abdel Aal.
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The Independent reviewed the articles:
The first article defines homosexuality as any person engaging in sexual intercourse with someone of the same sex.
The second article clarified that any person engaging in homosexuality in a public or private place should be subjected to punitive action that should be no less than one-year and not exceeding three years in jail.
It added that in case those jailed homosexual people repeated having sex after being freed, then the punitive action should be five years in jail.
The third article highlighted that any “supporter” of homosexuality or someone who calls for the acceptance of homosexuality, even if he or she is not a “practitioner of homosexuality,” should be jailed for no less than one year or no more than three years.
The fourth article paid attention to media coverage to parties organized by homosexual people, stipulating that any representatives of the media that “promotes” LGBT parties would be jailed for three years.
A fifth article would jail people for 1-3 years for promotion of homosexuality.
The move follows a massive crackdown against LGBT people in the country following the raising of a rainbow flag at a concert by the Lebanese band Mashrou' Leila.
