A Cairo court on Thursday sentenced 14 men to sentences ranging from one to three years in prison on charges of homosexual activities, one of their lawyers said.
They were also given fines and will be monitored by police for one year after their release, said Helmi Al-Rawi.
Three of the defendants were sentenced to three years, eight got two years and three got one year, said Al-Rawi, who defended some of the men in the month-long trial. He said the men were sentenced on charges of practicing debauchery. Two defendants were acquitted.
Some of the defendants are expected to appeal the verdict, Al-Rawi said.
The first defendant was arrested in a rented apartment in February. His telephone had been bugged for more than one month on a tip, which led to the rest of the defendants.
Human rights groups and the international community have condemned Egypt for trying homosexuals. Homosexuality is not explicitly referred to in the Egyptian legal code and suspects are charged under a wide range of laws covering obscenity, prostitution and public morality that are punishable by jail terms. – Sapa-AP