Egyptian LGBT+ Activist Sarah Hegazi Found Dead While Seeking Asylum In Canada

Egyptian LGBT+ activist Sarah Hegazi, 30, who sought asylum in Canada, was found dead in her apartment in Toronto. She had been living in exile for about 18 months and struggling with depression.

According to ‘National Post’, Hegazi fled to Canada after she being jailed for waiving the rainbow flag at a concert by a popular Lebanese alternative rock band Mashrou’Leila whole lead singer Hamed Sino is openly gay.

Hegazi was the only woman arrested and was charged and detained with “promoting sexual deviancy and debauchery,” a charge she denied. After she was released on bail in January 2018, she sought asylum in Canada.

“Sarah paid the price for choosing her sexual preferences and defending the rights of the sexual abused,” hew lawyer Ali el-Halawany said in a Facebook post.

Although homosexuality is not a crime in Egypt, discrimination against the LGBT+ community is common.

LGBT+ rights activists paid tribute to Hegazi. Mona el-Tahawy, an Egyprian-US writer and independent women’s rights advocate tweeted: “This is heartbreaking and tragic. Rest in power.”

Mohamed El Baradei, an Egyptian opposition politician and former interim vice-president wrote on Twitter: “You may differ with Sarah Hegazi in her thinking and way of life, and this is your right, but is it your right to prosecute her and besiege her right to life simply because of your disagreement with her?”

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