Rights group slams Egypt's media blackout on homosexuals

CAIRO — An international rights group has slammed an Egyptian media regulatory body's order prohibiting homosexuals or their slogans from appearing on any outlet amid a mass arrest campaign against them and their supporters.

Friday's statement by Human Rights Watch criticized the ban on reporting on homosexuals unless they acknowledge their "wrong conduct and repent for it." It also stressed the importance of giving LGBT people a voice.

The decision by the Supreme Council for Media Regulation comes after the waving of the LGBT rainbow flag at a Cairo concert last month. Dozens have been arrested and some were subjected to anal examinations, seen as a form of torture by rights bodies.

Homosexuality, highly taboo in Egypt, is not explicitly prohibited by law but authorities prosecute individuals under charges as "debauchery.".''