Malawi gay couple jailed

A MALAWI gay couple was sentenced to 14 years each in jail after being found guilty of sodomy and indecency earlier this week in a trial viewed as a test case for gay rights in the country.

The couple, Steven Monjeza, 26, and 20-year-old Tiwonge Chimbalanga, were arrested after they got engaged in a traditional ceremony in late December.

“I sentence these two... to a maximum sentence because I want us to stop Malawian sons and daughters from copying the same sex marriages which are un-Malawian and not in our culture and religious beliefs,” chief resident magistrate Nyakwawa Uisiwausiwa said.

“This is the first case of its kind in Malawi... this is the worst case of its kind,” he added.

Major donors to aid-dependent Malawi have condemned what they called the abuse of human rights in the southern African nation, particularly a crackdown on gay rights, and warned that abuses could affect budget support.

Amnesty International called for the immediate and unconditional release of the couple.