The Dekheila Prosecution in Alexandria arrested 9 men on Monday, who were believed to be engaging in “debauchery” and homosexual activity, after the Head of the Alexandria Security Directorate, Mustafa al-Nimr, deemed their behavior a threat to public security.

Police at Dekheila Police Station received information claiming that “weird” young men had frequently visited an apartment on Gameeya Street, Hanoville, in western Alexandria.

Subsequent investigations indicated that a real estate agent rented the apartment months ago, and used it to host group-sex parties.

Homosexuality is not illegal in Egypt, but since the 1990s, police have been employing a 1950 anti-prostitution law and a 1961 law against “debauchery” to arrest and imprison homosexuals.