Malawi president pardons engaged gay couple: Couple had been sentenced to 14 years hard labor
The president of Malawi, under pressure from UN and human rights groups, has pardoned a gay couple who were recently sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment with hard labor after they became engaged in a traditional ceremony.
President Bingu wa Mutharika, speaking as UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon visited his African country May 29, said he ordered their immediate release on humanitarian grounds. Ban called Mutharika’s decision “courageous,” according to BBC News. “This outdated penal code should be reformed wherever it may exist.”