Thursday, May 20, 2010

Malawi “People Like You” Given 14 Year Sentence



From Jim Burroway's Box Turtle Bulletin:



Declaring that he wanted to protect the public “from people like you,” Judge Nyakwawa Usiwa-Usiwa of Blantyre Magistrates Court sentenced Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, to 14 years in prison with hard labor, the maximum sentence under Malawi law, after having found them found guilty of gross indecency and unnatural acts:




“I sentence you to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour each. That’s the maximum under the penal code,” magistrate Nyakwawa Usiwa Usiwa told the two men in a courtroom in the capital Blantyre.



“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 judge added.



“Malawi is not ready to see its sons getting married to its sons.”



The BBC reports that Monjeza broke down in tears when he heard the sentence, while Chimbalanga remained calm.



As they were escorted away under heavy police guard, hundreds of onlookers outside the court shouted abuse at them,. One woman reportedly yelled, “Malawi should never allow homosexuality at any cost.”



The couple’s lawyer said that they would appeal the verdict to High Court.



Human rights groups call the ruling a significant blow:

Read the rest of the blog here:

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