Cairo, 06 April-(ANA)-An Egyptian couple accused of engaging in sex sessions with other couples have been jailed by a Cairo court.
The man, a 48-year-old civil servant, was given seven years, his 37-year-old schoolteacher wife got three years.
The judge described the case as one of the worst crimes committed. But the couple's lawyer said the sentence was "very harsh" and they would appeal.
Extra-marital sex is illegal in Egypt, where the constitution says Islamic law is the main source of legislation.
The pair were arrested in October 2008 on prostitution charges after they posted adverts on the internet for couples interested in sex parties.
A long-standing law in Egypt allows people to be prosecuted for prostitution for having extra-marital sex even if no money changes hands.
According to Egyptian press reports at the time of their arrest, the pair interviewed some 44 couples, usually at coffee shops in central Cairo, before swapping partners. (ANA)
