Shocking attack on gay couple in Morocco

A video depicting a bloody attack on a gay couple in Morocco has shocked human rights activists in the North African country.

According to local media, the cellphone video shows the bloodied men being assaulted by a group of five other men, armed with knives, in a house in the city of Beni Mellal.

It’s believed that the assailants, who live in the same neighbourhood, broke into the men’s home.

The naked victims were then further humiliated after they were forced into the streets by their attackers.

The video was reportedly posted on social media by members of the homophobic gang.

It is unclear when the incident took place or what became of the two men.

LGBT group Akaliyat and other local human rights organisations condemned the assault in a statement and called for protection and support for the victims.

The activists bemoaned “the proliferation of serious attacks against homosexuals” in Morocco and demanded that an investigation into the incident be launched and that the aggressors be punished.

The groups further called for the repeal of Article 489 of the Moroccan Penal Code, which criminalises homosexuality, “to ensure the protection of individual liberties and the private life of citizens”.

In June 2015, a video emerged of an LGBT individual being brutally beaten on camera by a mob in the streets of the city of Fez.

While he condemned the actions of the assailants, Morocco’s justice minister also blamed the victim for “provoking” his assailants with his gender non-conforming appearance.

Male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Morocco, with penalties ranging from six months to three years in jail, as well as the imposition of fines.

According to Human Rights Watch, Moroccan courts often rely on confessions coerced by the police to convict people accused of homosexuality.

In January, two Moroccan male university students were arrested in the city of Inezgane after a video of them kissing went viral.