The Malta Gay Rights Movement and Amnesty International (Malta) yesterday sent letters to the Egyptian ambassador and the Maltese foreign minister in support of gay persons in Egypt who were imprisoned on grounds of their sexual orientation.

Yesterday was observed as a Global Day of Action and Solidarity in protest at the continued detention, persecution and torture of Egyptian gays.

At a press conference in front of the Egyptian Embassy in Ta' Xbiex, representatives of the MGRM and Amnesty International (Malta) spoke about the second anniversary of the raid on the gay club 'Queen Boat' when Egyptian police arrested around 60 men, 23 of whom were sentenced to prison terms of between one and five years in November 2001.

Following international protests, a retrial was held last March, and 29 men were acquitted. However, 21 people were again convicted, receiving harsher sentences of imprisonment together with forced labour. Since then, the Egyptian police have arrested and interrogated many individuals suspected of being homosexual.

In their letter to Ambassador Fatima El Zahraa, Dr Neil Falzon, group co-ordinator, Amnesty International (Malta), and Sandro Mangion, Group co-ordinator MGRM, requested her to urge the immediate and unconditional release of all those imprisoned on the grounds of actual or perceived sexual identity.

They also appealed to the Foreign Minister Joe Borg to express his concern on the issue with the Egyptian government and to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those imprisoned for their sexual orientation.

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