Egypt frees four gay men

On Wednesday an Egyptian court freed four men convicted of homosexual acts after reducing their sentences to time served, Agence France-Presse reports. The men were among 21 sentenced March 15 to three years in prison after they were found guilty of "habitual debauchery." Their sentences were reduced from three years to one year, which was the amount of time they had already served. The judge, meanwhile, rejected the appeals filed by 12 of the 17 other men because they did not appear in court; some say the men stayed away out of fear. Although Egyptian law does not specifically outlaw homosexuality, the country's broad-based "morality" codes are often interpreted as condemning homosexuality.