BEIRUT - In the austere police station, after they are asked to undress, they are told to lean forward or crouch, submitting to a medical examination to determine their sexual orientation. Who are they? People suspected of homosexuality, a punishable offense in Lebanon, a country considered far more tolerant than other Arab countries.
This humiliating practice - well-known in homosexual circles - has recently been denounced by Lebanese associations. "We broke the silence," Nizar Saghieh says. He is a lawyer, activist and founder of the "Al-Moufakkira al-kanouniya" ("Legal Agenda") NGO, that organized a conference last month where these "examinations of shame" were denounced.
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