Malawi president pardons gays

By Nomava Nobumba
30 May 2010

Malawi's president Bingu wa Mutharika has surprised his own people by announcing he has pardoned two gay men who earlier this month were sentenced to 14 years in prison for getting engaged to be married.

He says they were released yesterday.

Mutharika responded to an appeal from visiting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

There was an international outcry after 26-year-old Steven Monjeza and his 20-year-old partner Tiwonge Chimbalanga were earlier this month sentenced to hard labour for sodomy, after they held the country's first known same-sex wedding.

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