Malawi judge finds gay couple guilty of unnatural acts, gross indecency, and face 14 year imprisonment
A court in Malawi has convicted a gay couple of gross indecency and unnatural acts, reports The Associated Press.
Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, were arrested in December 2009 after celebrating their engagement ahead of a wedding planned for 2010. They have been in jail ever since and could now face 14 years in prison.
Judge Nyakwawa Usiwa-Usiwa convicted both men of engaging in gay sex which he said was “against the order of nature”.
Homosexuality is illegal in at least 37 countries in Africa. In Uganda, lawmakers are considering a bill that would sentence homosexuals to life in prison and include capital punishment for “repeat offenders.” Even in South Africa, the only African country that recognizes gay rights, gangs have carried out so-called “corrective” rapes on lesbians.
