Peter Tatchell

More than 28 MSPs (Members of the Scottish Parliament) have signed a motion condemning the arrest and trial of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, the two Malawian men charged with homosexuality after they held a same-sex engagement ceremony in late December.

The motion also calls for an end to police harassment of HIV educators and human rights defenders in the country.

The sponsor of the parliamentary motion, MSP Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee West), said:
"I am pleased that this motion is rapidly attracting signatures from MSPs of all parties. Although Scotland does not have an official foreign policy role - that is reserved to Westminster - this is an important issue of human rights and we must speak up and mobilise public opinion in Scotland against these discriminatory and illegal arrests."

The campaign to secure Scottish parliamentary opposition to the arrest of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga has been assisted by London-based human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell who helped draft the motion with parliamentary researcher Gregor Murray.

Mr Tatchell said:
"Despite having made a successful transition to democracy, Malawi is now abusing the human rights of these men. It is very sad.

"This prosecution is illegal. It is contrary to section 20 of the Malawi constitution, which outlaws all discrimination. It violates the equal treatment provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, which Malawi has signed and pledged to uphold.

"Malawi 's anti-gay laws were not legislated by Malawians. They were devised in London in the nineteenth century and imposed on the people of Malawi by the British colonisers and their army of occupation. Before the British came and conquered Malawi , there were no laws against homosexuality. These laws are a foreign imposition. They are not African laws.

"I hope the charges against Tiwonge and Steven will be dropped and that Malawi will respect human rights by abolishing its colonial laws against homosexuality.”

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