Malawi gay couple face 14 years in prison

A gay couple in Malawi face up to 14 years in prison after being arrested as they held a symbolic engagement ceremony.

Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, were convicted of "unnatural acts and gross indecency" by a judge in the capital, Blantyre, in a trial that attracted jeering crowds.

The ceremony, unusual in the conservative country, on December 27 drew onlookers who hurled ridicule at the couple.

Undule Mwakasungula, a gay rights activist in Malawi, said the couple's decision to declare their relationship with an engagement ceremony was merely personal. He said the case was important because the two men were open about their homosexuality: "This is the most publicised case related to that penal code."

Mr Mwakasungula and other activists have supported the couple since their arrest. He said they were relaxed before the verdict, but was concerned they could be attacked if released.

The government, backed by Malawi church leaders, says it is clear the two men broke the law. Religious officials in the country say homosexuality is "sinful".

"It's a challenge in terms of us pushing for legal reform," said Mr Mwakasungula. "We can't be using a law that was enacted in 1940."

Michaela Clayton, of Namibian agency Aids & Rights Alliance for Southern Africa, said the verdict could encourage anti-gay sentiment as well as set back the fight against Aids. "We have to keep on being strategic about the way we push this agenda forward," she said.

Homosexuality is illegal in at least 37 countries on the continent. In Uganda, politicians are considering a bill that would sentence homosexuals to life in prison and include capital punishment for "repeat offenders".