Authorities in Lebanon have allegedly forced the cancellation of Beirut Pride halfway through its program, after the country last year became the first Arab nation to hold a gay pride week.
Organiser Hadi Damien says he was detained overnight at a police station after security forces came to an event, where he was forced to sign a pledge cancelling forthcoming Beirut Pride events to secure his release.
While Lebanon is more tolerant than some of its Arab neighbours, Article 534 of Lebanon's penal code punishes "any sexual intercourse contrary to the order of nature" with up to one year in prison