Egypt police have arrested 33 people after police launched a massive hunt for gay people. In the past three days, authorities have arrested 22 people in their ‘hunt’ to end ‘debauchery’. This means 32 men and one woman have been arrested since people flew rainbow flags at a concert.

According to Amnesty, anal probe torture has been performed on at least five of those arrested. One man was detained in the Meditterranean port city of Damietta in relation to the ‘incident’. Six further people were also detained in Cairo in the last 48 hours. It is believed they were caught after going on gay dating apps.

Four further arrests occurred in Giza. A woman suspected of raising a rainbow flag at the Mashrou’ Leila concert in Cairo was charged with ‘promoting sexual deviancy’ and ‘habitual debauchery’.

The incident has sparked mass departures from the Egyptian capital, Cairo. GSN understands some activists have fled their homes in the city. Some have even gone abroad temporarily.

And even non-activists are taking steps to hide their identities.

One Egyptian gay man told GSN: ‘Most of my gay friends are deleting their accounts, or at least any gay related posts or groups.’ Read more via Gay Star News