Malawi men are "Prisoners of Conscience"
Release Steven Monjeza & Tiwonge Chimbalanga, says Amnesty International
Letter to Malawian High Commissioner in London, from OutRage!
London, UK - 18 March 2010
Amnesty International has adopted the Malawian couple, Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, as "Prisoners of Conscience" and is campaigning for their release:
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions_details.asp?ActionID=682
The two men are on trial in Malawi on charges of homosexuality and face up to 14 years jail. Currently held in Chichiri Prison, the verdict is expected next Monday, 22 March.
Amnesty regards the two men as the equivalent of political prisoners.
Amnesty International UK Director, Kate Allen, said:
"Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga have committed no criminal offence and we adopted them as prisoners of conscience after their arrest at the end of December. It is vital that as many people as possible join us in writing to the Malawi authorities calling on them to release the two men and for them to investigate their treatment in custody."
See this Amnesty International briefing on the case:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AFR36/001/2010/en/53def968-a426-46eb-8665-75879e119325/afr360012010en.ht
"Tiwonge and Steven have been arrested, prosecuted and held in jail solely because of their alleged sexual orientation. Their persecution is in violation of Article 20 of the Malawian Constitution and of Articles 2, 3 and 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, which Malawi has signed and pledged to uphold," said London-based human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, who is supporting the Amnesty International campaign.
In a letter this week to the Malawian High Commissioner in London, Dr Francis Moto, Mr
Tatchell wrote:
"We respect Malawi as an independent nation, and merely ask that the government and judiciary adhere to the equality and anti-discrimination clause of the Malawian Constitution, which the people of Malawi freely agreed as part of the transition from dictatorship to democracy."
See Mr Tatchell's letter to the High Commissioner in full below.
In the 1970s and 80s, Mr Tatchell campaigned for the release of political prisoners in Malawi during the dictatorship of Dr Hastings Banda and for improved wages and conditions for Malawian workers on British-owned farms and estates in the Mulanje region.
Further information: Peter Tatchell - +44 207 403 1790
A copy of Peter Tatchell's letter to the Malawian High Commissioner to London:
Dr. Francis Moto
High Commission of Malawi
70 Winnington Road
London N2 0TX
16 March 2010
Your Excellency,
I am writing to ask your government to show mercy and compassion to Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, who are in Chichiri prison on charges of homosexuality - even though they love each other and have harmed no one.
As you know, these two men have been adopted as "Prisoners of Conscience" by Amnesty International, which is calling for their release.
In addition, 65 British MPs have signed an Early Day Motion calling for them to be freed and for all charges dropped:
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=40143&SESSION=903
We respect that Malawi is an independent nation, and merely ask that it adhere to the equality and anti-discrimination clause of the Malawian Constitution, which the people and government of Malawi freely agreed as part of the transition from dictatorship to democracy.
I am a friend of Malawi. In the 1970s and 80s I helped campaign for the release of political prisoners during the Hastings Banda dictatorship and successfully campaigned for improved wages and conditions on British-owned tea estates in the Mulanje region.
I respectfully urge your government to not persecute your fellow Malawians because of their sexuality. Please judge people by the quality of their character, not by their sexual orientation.
Enclosed is a news release about the MPs urging an end to the persecution of Mr Monjeza and Mr Chimbalanga.
Thank you for considering this letter. I would be very happy to meet you, if you thought it would be helpful.
Yours sincerely,
Peter Tatchell
Human rights campaigner. OutRage!, London
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