EGYPTIAN COURT UPHOLDS HIV SENTENCES

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001129

SIPDIS

NSC STAFF FOR PASCUAL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2018
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KHIV UN EG
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN COURT UPHOLDS HIV SENTENCES

REF: CAIRO 739

Classified By: Counselor for Economic and Political
Affairs Catherine Hill-Herndon for reason 1.4(B).

1.(C) On May 28, a Cairo appellate court upheld the
convictions of five HIV-positive men sentenced to prison in
April for "habitual debauchery" (reftel). The five are now
serving three-year prison terms. Lawyers with the Egyptian
Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR),the organization
representing the men, said they were disappointed but not
surprised by the court's decision, which they believe is part
of a misguided GoE effort to protect public health. The EIPR
told us that, although they have no concrete information,
they have heard rumors of continuing police efforts to locate
and imprison HIV-positive men, both in Cairo and Alexandria.

2.(C) Separately, the EIPR told us that the GoE asked the
United Nations to bar the EIPR from the UN's 2008 High-Level
Meeting on AIDS, to be held in New York on June 10-11. The
EIPR attended UN HIV meetings in 2001 and 2006, apparently
without objection from the Egyptian government. Although the
EIPR registered for the upcoming meeting, it believes that
after the GoE saw the list of registered participants, it
objected and asked the UN to prevent the organization from
participating. An EIPR representative still plans to attend
the New York meeting in a personal capacity.

SCOBEY