Egyptian court acquits 26 men of 'debauchery' in trial over raid by police looking for gays
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An Egyptian court has acquitted 26 men who were arrested in a televised raid last month by police looking for gays at a Cairo public bathhouse.
The trial, which caused an uproar among activists and rights groups, captured public attention after a pro-government TV network aired scenes of half-naked men being pulled from the bathhouse by police.
Same-sex relations are not explicitly prohibited in Egyptian law. The men faced various charges, including "debauchery" and performing indecent public acts.
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Monday's verdict came after only three hearings, during which families quarreled with journalists who tried to photograph their relatives in the dock.
Rights activists say 2014 was the worst year in a decade for Egypt's gay community, with at least 150 men arrested or put on trial.