Malawi gay couple to be tried
The two Malawi men detained for three months over homosexual acts will face a full trial in April, a Blantyre court ruled today. The two risk prison sentences of up to 14 years. The two men were detained almost three months ago and have been in custody since then. They are accused of “unnatural offences” and “indecent practices between males” - in reality homosexuality - which is a criminal offence according to colonial parts of Malawi’s penal code. …
Since their arrest, the two have been subjected to inhumane treatments, according to their lawyers. They reportedly have been beaten several times and subjected to forced anal examinations to “confirm” sodomy charges.
Malawi is a deeply conservative country, where modern impulses and values were held back for decades during the Banda dictatorship. The trial will be a test case regarding homosexuality in a country, where the majority of the population had not even heard about sexual minorities before the two young boys have dominated media front pages since their arrest.
As the issue of homosexuality suddenly emerged in Malawi, also liberal forces have woken up. A pro-gay group has been formed - the Centre for the Development of People - as the first in Malawi. In the capital, several politicians say Malawi should reconsider anti-gay legislation, and the Anglican Church - the dominant in the country - even had its first discussion on how to react to homosexuality. Not surprisingly, a majority of church leaders were negative.
