Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, have been sentenced to 14 years in prison with hard labor for holding a private wedding ceremony. The Malawi court found that such a ceremony and relationship constitutes gross indecency and involves unnatural acts. Judge Nyakwawa Usiwa-Usiwa stated he wanted to protect the public “from people like you.”
The court stated at the sentencing “I will give you a scaring sentence so that the public be protected from people like you, so that we are not tempted to emulate this horrendous example.”
The two men were then exposed to citizens shouting abuse and laughing at them as they were taken to jail.
Notably, Western governments supply 40 percent of Malawi’s budget — a level of support that should be reexamined in light of such human rights violations. It is hard to see why gay citizens should be subsidizing a nation that treats them as a public danger.
For the full story, click here.
raymond.woo@energizer.com,raymond.woo@energizer.com;index.html;default.html;so good!
“BLANTYRE, Malawi — Malawi’s president on Saturday pardoned a gay couple who had been sentenced to 14 years in prison and ordered their release but insisted that homosexuality was still illegal in his conservative southern African nation.
President Bingu wa Mutharika announced the pardon on “humanitarian grounds only” during a press conference with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Lilongwe, the capital.
“These boys committed a crime against our culture, against our religion, and against our laws,” Mutharika said. “However, as head of state, I hereby pardon them and therefore order their immediate release without any conditions.”
But he added, “We don’t condone marriages of this nature. It’s unheard of in Malawi and it’s illegal.””
From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/29/malawi-gay-couple-pardone_n_594451.html?ir=Impact
Sarcasm aside, good on you Steve and Tiwonge.
I wish our government would do more to protect me from people who enter a private contract.
I mean I appreciate it protecting my marriage from other people getting married, but it just doesn’t punish them enough for being different.
“I will give you a scaring sentence so that the public be protected from people like you, so that we are not tempted to emulate this horrendous example.”
Because people who love and care for one another are such a horrendous example to follow, eh, “Judge” Usiwa-Usiwa?
I have the same question for you, “Judge”, that Groucho Marx once had for a contestant on “You Bet Your Life”.
Do you still beat your wife, “Judge”?
Come on, you hateful creature.
Answer the question.
Man, this blows. This is not fair in the least. What is interesting is that they were condemned for loving each other but were handcuffed together…that sure makes sense…..