Police in Egypt using Grindr to locate and arrest gay/bi men

Law enforcement agents in Egypt are reportedly using LGBTIQ+ dating apps to track and arrest gay and bisexual men.

An anonymous source told CairoScene that apps such as Grindr are being used to target queer men in across the country.

“There have been a number of arrests in the last few months linked to these applications,” the source told CairoScene.

Egyptian law does not criminalise homosexuality, though the LGBTIQ+ community report high levels of discrimination and prejudice. Earlier this year, an Egyptian court sentenced 11 men for “inciting debauchery”, a term often used to describe homosexual behaviour in Egyptian courtrooms.

In 2014, a number of men were arrested after a video of an unofficial same-sex wedding on the Nile River went viral.

“It baffles me how easily people are willing to share such personal information in a country like Egypt – it is beyond stupid,” the source opined.

“I would advise anyone to be careful when dating online.”

OIP Staff

Sources

• Jerusalem Post