The trial of 52 Egyptians accused of having gay sex resumed in the state security court in Cairo Wednesday, attended by observers from a number of Western embassies, an AFP correspondent said.
Egyptian human rights groups, which have recently leveled criticism in the press against homosexual practices, did not send observers, as in previous sessions of the trial, said the agency.
However, representatives from the US, Canadian, Belgian, Danish and Swiss embassies were present.
A Canadian diplomat and lawyer, Jean-Philippe Cachian, told AFP "we were sent by our embassies as observers, but (came) without invitation."
The defendants, mostly in their 20s, were arrested May 11 on a Nile riverboat nightclub. The court, whose verdict cannot be appealed, could sentence them to as much as five years in prison if convicted.
The two main defendants stand accused of "exploiting the Islamic religion to spread extremist ideas" as well as practicing gay sex "as part of the group's rituals in front of the remaining defendants and others with the aim of insulting the heavenly religions and sparking civil strife."
The remaining 50 defendants are charged with "practicing debauchery with men."
The practice of homosexuality is not explicitly prohibited under Egyptian law, which is based on Islamic, or sharia, law. However, numerous statutes sanction conduct deemed to be a scandal to public morality.
Farid Al Dib, one of the defense lawyers, claimed to have medical reports on 37 of the defendants are not homosexuals. He did not provide details, said the agency.
According to an article by Hossam Baghat, the international relations coordinator for the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, “the case involves religious beliefs and morality, two elements that have always succeeded in keeping people engaged for a long time."
Baghat says that Egyptian men facing such charges are at risk of "losing their jobs, families, friends and social status, as well as spending up to five years in prison."
The founder of EgyptGays.com, meanwhile, accused the government of trying to placate the Muslim Brotherhood and cool down religious and nationalist feelings mounting due to the Palestinian Intifada.
But President Mubarak brushed off world criticism of his country’s human rights record, without referring specifically to the case.
He said that there were certain aspects of society that could not be judged by people from other cultures.
Ealier this week, the UK Foreign Office was said to be reviewing its travel guidelines to Egypt, following a call from Gay.com urging it to warn gay travelers of possible trouble in the light of a high profile homosexual court case, the website claimed.
A report by Gay.com quoted a statement by the foreign office as saying, "We are very concerned about this case, in particular the use of a State Security Court to try the men and reports that the men were mistreated during questioning."
"We regularly raise human rights issues including our concerns about this case with the Egyptian government...We will listen to the views of the gay community about reflecting discrimination against homosexuals in our travel advice," added the statement. "Our travel advice is under constant review."
The UK Foreign Office said it was very concerned about the trial, according to the report.
The trial has also prompted international protests and a call by Amnesty International for a tourist boycott of Egypt - Albawaba.com
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