Fridae

An Egyptian court has sentenced a youth, reported to be 15 years old, to three years in prison for "practicing sexual immorality," a local euphemism for homosexuality, reports the Associated Press. The verdict delivered on Tuesday is the first in the mass Egyptian gay trial that has drawn worldwide condemnation.

The court heard that the teen who was arrested May 11 along with 52 other males aboard "Queen Boat", a Nile riverboat nightclub in Cairo underwent a medical examination that proved he had committed debauchery. Debauchery carries a maximum prison sentence of three years.

The trial of the 52 other defendants who have all pleaded not guilty, is expected to resume on Wednesday in an emergency state security court where verdicts cannot be appealed. They are accused of sexual immorality and two forming a group which propagated extremist ideas and denigrated Islam.

The youth who received the maximum penalty had apparently confessed to practicing homosexuality and being a member of a gay organisation. He will remain under police supervision for three years after his release from jail.

Defense lawyers in earlier trials of the 52 men disputed confessions of some of the defendants, saying they were coerced into admitting their guilt. News agencies also reported weekly torture sessions with interrogators applying electric shocks and beatings by prison guards.

International activists and human rights groups who have denounced the trial which has attracted international media and governmental attention.

Although Egyptian law does not expressly prohibit homosexuality, a wide range of laws covering obscenity and public morality are punishable by jail terms.