The trial of 52 Egyptian men accused of having gay sex was adjourned till August 15 to allow the defense more time to prepare for the case, said reports.
The trial opened in Cairo Wednesday amid scuffles between police and their families as well as concern from international human rights groups.
The families of the accused fought with police when they were barred from attending the trial's opening session, said AFP.
Some of the relatives, who were all eventually allowed into the courthouse, also punched photographers who tried to take pictures of the defendants.
Nobody was seriously hurt in the clashes at the state security court, which functions under decades-old emergency laws aimed at protecting public order and whose sentences cannot be appealed.
The defendants were arrested May 11 on a Nile river boat restaurant.
Police originally said they were having a gay sex party, but prosecutors later changed tack and said the group was meeting with a self-styled preacher, said the Associated Press.
The trial has caused a storm in Egypt, where homosexuality is seen as a sin.
International human rights groups have protested the arrests.
Egyptian law does not explicitly refer to homosexuality, but a wide range of laws covering obscenity and public morality are punishable by jail terms.
Prosecutor Ashraf Hilal told the state security court that Sherif Farahat and Mahmoud Ahmed Allam were charged with contempt of religion, falsely interpreting the Quran and exploiting Islam to promote deviant ideas. They were also charged with immoral behavior, said the AP.
Contempt of religion is punishable by up to five years in jail. The debauchery offense carries a maximum prison sentence of three years.
If convicted of the charges, the two could face up to five years in prison at hard labor, while the remainder could face anywhere from a fine to three years in prison.
The Egyptian press has dubbed it the case of a "devil-worshipping" cult, but the group has not been specifically charged with membership in a religious cult, said AFP.
The case has drawn the attention of human rights groups, including London-based Amnesty International, which said last month it was "gravely concerned" about the proceedings - Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
