Morocco - 6 Men Jailed Over Cross-Dressing Party

By Cernig

Hey Rudy G, don't go anywhere near Morocco:

A Moroccan appeal court on Tuesday upheld the convictions of six men jailed for homosexual acts after video images of a man dressed as a woman dancing at a party sparked street protests and a police investigation, lawyers said.

The six were arrested in late November after rumours spread that a party they had held in the northern town of Ksar el Kebir was really an illegal gay wedding.

The national press pounced on the story, and Islamist groups condemned what they saw as an attack on public morals and demanded an official investigation.

Hundreds of angry residents marched through Ksar el Kebir to demand "justice" and put pressure on the authorities to hand out harsh sentences.

The six men were found guilty and given jail sentences by a lower court last month. They had all pleaded not guilty.

The appeal court upheld a 10-month sentence against the party's alleged organiser, identified as F., for homosexuality and the illegal sale of alcohol, defence lawyer Mohamed Sebbar said.

The five others had their jail terms cut to between two and four months from between four and six months, he said. All six had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Note there's no proof of the alleged "crimes" other than one guy in a frock.

Were this Iran, I find myself thinking, faux-outrage warmongers like Malkin would already be on this one like flies on horseapples. Iran has a truly shabby human rights record, it's true, and one that should be loudly condemned by the world, but what they do turns true protest at such a record into just more ammunition in the ongoing campaign to demonise that nation and pave the way for public acceptance of attacks.

But Morocco?

Morocco has been designated a major non-Nato US ally by President Bush, in recognition of the country's support in the US-led war on terror.
The category also includes Israel, Egypt, Kuwait, and pro-western Asian nations.

The designation is expected to make it easier for American companies to sell arms to Morocco.

The US is also expected to sign a free-trade agreement with Morocco later this month.

Ah well, that's different.