Egyptian Authorities Are Hunting Gay Men Via Dating Apps
Troubling reports are coming from Egypt claiming Police forces are tracking and trapping gay men via dating apps. These reports allege that gay men are being contacted through fake profiles created by police to set up dates that result in threats, arrests and legal repurcussions, reports BBC News.
EGYPT, EXTORTION AND ENTRAPMENT
LGBTQIA+ Egyptians have always reported a tenuous relationship with the government as laws surrounding homosexuality are ambiguous. Although it is not illegal to be gay in Egypt there is no same-sex marriage recognition, no legal protections against discrimination and strict laws in place which prohibit how gay people can interact in society, reports Equaldex.
These restrictions make online dating and social media apps one of the safest ways for gay people to communicate with each other, reports BBC News. Authorities are now being accused of using these platforms to employ entrapment tactics to coerce gay men into engaging in crimes of “debauchery”.
Transcripts witnessed by BBC reporters show there is ample evidence of police using apps such as Grindr and WhosHere to target gay men. Victims describe going onto these apps and having police disguised behind fake profiles trying to get them to accept money for sex. The debauchery laws in Egypt make any sex work illegal and police are co-opting the law to arrest gay men they have entrapped.
The victims who spoke with BBC News describe inhumane treatment including being burned with cigarettes in custody and having fake profiles being created to frame them for debauchery. Police aren’t the only ones to engage with these tactics. Anti-gay civilians are also using gay dating apps to track LGBTQIA+ people to attack them. Victims have described being beaten and abused on camera and provide their full names before admitting to being gay. These videos are then either used to extort money out of these victims and their families or posted straight to social media, reports BBC News.
