Egypt prosecutor orders detention of 7 men for 'debauchery,' charge often levelled at gays

CAIRO – Egypt's top prosecutor has ordered seven men detained and physically examined over accusations of "debauchery," a charge often leveled at gays, after a video emerged of a same-sex wedding party.

In a statement Saturday, the prosecutor said the suspects are also accused of broadcasting footage that "violates public decency," ordering them detained for four days pending an investigation. The statement described the video, which appeared online, as showing "a devilish shameless party" where two of the men were getting married.

A video on news website Youm7 shows two men in suits, with faces blurred, putting rings around each other fingers and hugging as friends celebrate on a boat.

In Egypt, consensual same-sex relations are not explicitly prohibited, but other laws have been used to imprison gay men in recent years.