A court has upheld the acquittal of 26 men in the so-called ‘gay bathhouse’ case.

The men were found innocent of 'debauchery' on 13 January after being arrested for allegedly holding gay orgies in Bab El-Bahr public bathhouse in downtown Cairo.

The general-prosecution had appealed the sentence, but the court upheld the ruling in the first appeal session.

Police raided the bathhouse after receiving a tip off from television journalist Mona Iraqi who made claims against the men on her show in early December, an incident that sparked wide controversy.

In its ruling, the court said that the evidence provided was not sufficient, adding that the forensics showed no evidence that the accused had engaged in homosexual acts.

The men's defence team told Ahram Online that the families are considering suing El-Iraqi over her report.

Although homosexuality is not technically illegal in Egypt, those suspected of homosexual acts are often charged under a law that prohibits “debauchery” and indecent public acts.

In late 2014, Egypt sentenced eight men to one year in jail over a 'gay wedding' video released online.

Homosexuality is considered taboo by most Egyptians.