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