Amnesty International Calls Gay Malawi Men Prisoners Of Conscience Demands Release

Amnesty International Wednesday called for the release of the two Malawi men arrested and jailed without bail after marrying in a traditional ceremony. The human rights advocacy organization released a statement that read “the arrest of the two men solely for their real or perceived sexual orientation amounts to discrimination and it is in violation of their rights to freedom of conscience, expression and privacy,” adding that “Amnesty International considers individuals imprisoned solely for their consensual sexual relationship in private as prisoners of conscience and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.” Moreover, Amnesty said that the arrest ran the risk of continuing to marginalize gay men in the African country, making education and support about HIV an arduous task. 12% of the Malawi adults are infected with the HIV virus.