Men in Egyptian "gay trial" plead innocent

Fifty two men arrested at an alleged gay gathering have pleaded innocent at the opening of a case that has shocked deeply religious Egypt.

Occupying one side of the packed courtroom, the men cursed and screamed as the prosecutor read the charges.

Two were accused of a range of religious offences and others with debauchery and having gay sex.

Prosecutor Ashraf Hilal told the state security court that Sherif Farahat and Mahmoud Ahmed Allam are charged with contempt of religion, falsely interpreting the Quran and exploiting Islam to promote deviant ideas. They were also charged with immoral behaviour.

Contempt of religion is punishable by up to five years in jail. The debauchery offence carries with it a maximum sentence of three years in jail.

International human rights groups condemned the May arrests, with some charging that the defendants were targeted for allegedly being gay.

Egyptian law does not explicitly refer to homosexuality, but a wide range of laws covering obscenity and public morality are punishable by jail terms.

When the defendants were arrested on a Nile river boat restaurant, police said they were holding a gay sex party. Prosecutors later changed tact and said the group was meeting with a self-styled preacher.

"We only want mercy," cried one defendant from the courtroom dock, over the din of wailing family members. "We've been detained without any evidence against us," yelled another.

Many of the defendants claim they were not on the boat during the police raid. The case has been adjourned until August 15.