An Egyptian court on Tuesday sentenced a student to six years in prison for "practicing debauchery" for raising the rainbow flag of the LGBTQ movement at a concert, according to local media.

Gay Flag 2016

Authorities detained seven people on Monday for raising the flag at a Cairo concert by Lebanese indie band Mashrou’ Leila, which now faces a ban in Egypt.

The flag was raised during a performance on Friday in a mall in an upscale suburb of the city, with images and videos of the flag-raising going viral online.

Homosexuality is a taboo in Egypt among both Muslims and the Christian minority but is not explicitly prohibited.

Photo by Benson Kua [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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