An Egyptian court has acquitted more than two dozen men on charges of debauchery in a Cairo bathhouse as part of a government crackdown on the country’s gays.

The 26 men were arrested last month during a police raid on the bathhouse last month and charged with organizing orgies, prostitution, and performing indecent public acts.

The surprise acquittals follow a crackdown against activity the Egyptian government refers to as deviant behavior and “group perversion.” Although homosexuality is not specifically outlawed in Egypt, it is considered a social taboo, and gay men are frequently arrested.

Over the last 18 months, more than 150 people have been arrested on charges of debauchery, according to Cairo-based Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.

The bathhouse raid was filmed by Al Kahera Wal Nas, a private TV station, and footage of police walking half-naked men out of the bathhouse went viral, causing uproar among activists.