Brody's Notes... U. S. State Department Condemns Malawi Conviction

U. S. State Department Seal  Graphic By D. Lun Wong 

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) May 19 | Assistant Secretary of State Philip J. Crowley told reporters in the daily press briefing yesterday that the United States is deeply disappointed in today’s [Tuesday] conviction of same-sex couple Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza in Malawi. 

"We view the criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity as a step backward in the protection of human rights in Malawi. The Government of Malawi must respect the human rights of all of its citizens. The United States views the decriminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity as integral to the protection of human rights in Malawi and elsewhere in the world," Crowley said.

Advocate Writer Michelle Garcia, in an article yesterday, reported that Chimbalanga, 20, and Monjeza, 26, were jailed in December for holding a public engagement ceremony. They were convicted of "unnatural acts and gross indecency" and face up to 14 years in prison. In January, Malawi information minister Leckford Mwanza Thoto said the couple had broken the law and that "as government, we cannot interfere in the court process." In response to outcry from Westerners about the case, he said, "We depend on our Western friends, yes, but we are a sovereign country."