Egypt court frees men accused in bath house raid

The 26 men were accused of "debauchery" and performing indecent public acts after they were arrested in a televised, night-time raid on a Cairo bathhouse on December 7. A pro-government TV network showed images of half-naked men being pulled from the bathhouse by police.

"The court has ruled that all the accused are innocent," the judge at the Cairo courthouse said, announcing the decision on Monday.

The ruling was met with cheers and celebration inside the courtroom as some of the defendants uncovered their faces and cried. Families had previously quarreled with journalists who tried to photograph their relatives in the dock.

Although homosexuality is not specifically outlawed in Egypt, discrimination is widespread. The December raid came amid fears of a widening police crackdown on homosexuals in Egypt.

Scott Long, an American researcher who had followed the case said he was both "shocked and delighted" at the ruling. "I hope this is a sign that these raids will come to an end," Long told The Associated Press news agency at the court house. "Finally there was a judge who listened to the evidence," he said.

The trial was criticized by activists and rights groups who said that 2014 was the worst year in a decade for Egypt's gay community after more than 150 men were arrested or put on trial.

Eight men were sentenced to three years in jail in November after they appeared in a video which allegedly showed the country's first gay marriage ceremony.

In 2001, 52 men were tried after a police raid on a floating disco called the Queen Boat.

Egypt's judiciary has come under close scrutiny and been criticized for its rulings - not least for the jailing last June of three journalists working for the English language service of the al-Jazeera television network. Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were given seven year sentences.

jm/bw (AP, AFP, Reuters)