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| Last year, a gay couple were given a 14-year jail term before being pardoned |
Malawi will
review a series of controversial laws, including a ban on homosexual acts,
Justice Minister Ephraim Chiume has said.
Mr Chiume
said the review was in response to "public opinion".
Western
governments criticised Malawi last year for jailing a gay couple on sodomy charges.
On Tuesday,
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US would use foreign aid to
encourage countries to decriminalise homosexuality.
UK Prime
Minister David Cameron expressed a similar view in October, saying that gay
rights were a human right.
Homosexual
acts are illegal in most African countries, where they are often viewed as
un-Christian and un-Islamic.
Mr Chiume
said provisions of the penal code concerning "indecent practices and
unnatural acts" would be reviewed.
"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 of laws to the
Law Commission for review," he said.
Last year,
a gay couple were sentenced to 14 years in prison for sodomy, after they held
an engagement ceremony in the city of Blantyre.
During
their trial, President Bingu wa Mutharika called homosexuality "evil and
very bad before the eyes of God". He later pardoned them following
international condemnation of the sentence.
Accordingto Africa Review, other laws which will be reviewed include one which allows
the information minister to ban newspapers deemed not to be serving the interest
of Malawians, as well as a law preventing people taking legal action against
the government and public officials.
The UK and
other donors have already cut aid to Malawi, amid criticism of its economic
policies and its attitude to the opposition and journalists.
In April,
the UK and Malawi expelled each other's diplomatic envoys after Wikileaks
published a cable citing the British High Commissioner accusing President
Mutharika of "not tolerating criticism".
Related Articles:
About the Challenges of Being a Gay Man – Oct 23, 2010 (Saint Germain channelled by Alexandra Mahlimay and Dan Bennack) - “You see, your Soul and Creator are not concerned with any perspective you have that contradicts the reality of your Divinity – whether this be your gender, your sexual preference, your nationality – or your race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or anything else.”
"The Akashic System" – Jul 17, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: Religion, The Humanization of God, Benevolent Design, DNA, Akashic Circle, (Old) Souls, Gaia, Indigenous People, Talents, Reincarnation, Genders, Gender Switches, In “between” Gender Change, Gender Confusion, Shift of Human Consciousness, Global Unity,..... etc.) - (Text version) New !
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