Gay Malawi Couple Sentenced 14 Years Hard Labour, Judge Says Society Must Be “Protected From People Like You”

Judge Nyakwawa Usiwa Usiwa in Malawi imposed the maximum sentence of 14 years in prison with hard labour on Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza. The two men, convicted Tuesday by the same judge of unnatural acts and gross indecency, were arrested December 28th, two days after they held an engagement party in advance of marriage ceremony that had been planned for this spring. In handing down the sentence, the judge told the two “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.” Michelle Kagari, the deputy director of Amnesty International, said the sentence was “an outrage” and described Chimbalanga and Monjeza as “prisoners of conscience.” She said that Amnesty would continue to campaign for their release.