Mauritania arrests 10 gay men after purported gay wedding Authorities have arrested 10 men after video appeared on social media of a gay couple appearing to take part in a traditional wedding ceremony, human rights groups saidNOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania -- Authorities in Mauritania have arrested 10 men after a video appeared on social media of a gay couple appearing to take part in a traditional wedding ceremony, human rights groups said. Police later determined the gathering was a birthday party but the men remain in custody with no trial date set yet. If convicted, the men could face the death penalty though executions have not been carried out in more than a decade, according to Amnesty International. Video of the festive ceremony prompted an outcry to what was suspected of being the first gay marriage in Mauritania. The Nouakchott public prosecutor's office then opened an investigation, and the police arrested the 10 young men.

Source: ABC News January 31, 2020 09:45 UTC