THE GUARDIAN: President pardons pair 'on humanitarian grounds' after meeting UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon
A gay couple sentenced to serve 14 years in jail in Malawi have been pardoned after their country's president met Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general.
Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, were tried and found guilty of sodomy and indecency earlier this month in a move that sparked international condemnation.
But after talking with Ban today, Malawi's president, Bingu wa Mutharika, announced the pair would be freed.
"These boys committed a crime against our culture, our religion and our laws," he said after the meeting, at the southern African country's State House. "However, as the head of state, I hereby pardon them and therefore ask for their immediate release with no conditions.
"I have done this on humanitarian grounds, but this does not mean that I support this."
He added: "We don't condone marriages of this nature. It's unheard of in Malawi and it's illegal."
Ban praised the decision, but said: "It is unfortunate that laws criminalise people based on sexuality. Laws that criminalise sexuality should be repealed."
He is due to address Malawi's national assembly later and is expected to ask legislators to look at this.
Although the order was immediate, a prison spokesman told The Associated Press they had not received notification to release the pair by Saturday afternoon.
Earlier this week, a cousin of Chimbalanga, Maxwell Manda, said that he wanted to leave Malawi upon his release.
Joseph Amon from Human Rights Watch said the president was responding to the international outcry following the couple's conviction and sentence.
"I hope that other leaders of African countries with anti-gay laws see that this is just not acceptable in the international community," he said. >>> Amy Fallon | Saturday, May 29, 2010
THE GUARDIAN: My friend, President Mutharika, show compassion: In the spirit of your fight against Aids, free Monjeza and Chimbalanga – an open letter to the president of Malawi >>> Elton John | Saturday, May 29, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi has pardoned a homosexual couple who had been jailed for 14 years.
Mr wa Mutharika had been under international pressure to reconsider the convictions of Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20. They were arrested in December after they were united in a traditional wedding ceremony in the conservative southern African country, where homosexuality is illegal.
Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary General, met the Malawian president on Saturday in the capital Lilongwe.
Speaking shortly afterwards, Mr wa Mutharika said: "These boys committed a crime against our culture, our religion and our laws.
"However, as the head of state I hereby pardon them and therefore ask for their immediate release with no conditions." >>> | Saturday, May 29, 2010
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