In a recently released announcement Malawi’s Justice Minister, Ephrain Chiume, stated, “In view of the sentiments from the general public and in response to public opinion regarding certain laws, the government wishes to announce to the Malawi nation that It is submitting the relevant laws and provisions for review.” The “laws and provisions” referred to include sections of the penal code criminalizing homosexuality, labeled as “indecent practices and unnatural acts” under Malawi law.
The announcement represents a sweeping change in sentiment for the African nation, which sentenced a gay couple to 14 years in prison just last year. That case, as well as an otherwise poor record on human rights, prompted big donors like the U.S., Britain, and Germany to suspend their aid to Malawi, which depends on hand-outs for as much as 40% of its budget. Recently, the U.S. proclaimed that it would examine the treatment of gay, lesbian, and transgendered citizens when allocating foreign aid, which may also have contributed to the change. Other laws that will be under scrutiny include provisions allowing the Information Minister to ban newspapers; law suits by or against government and public officers; and laws permitting police officers to search or make an arrest without providing reasons.
To read the entire article on AfricaNews.com, please visit:
http://www.africanews.com/site/Malawi_to_review_antigay_law/list_messages/40577
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