Being Forced to Live Without Love
In my lifetime, I can only recall my parents ever having a say in who I dated. Never has the government stepped in and told me that I could not be involved in a relationship with someone and I sure have never been jailed for being romantically involved with someone. Quite frankly, I am not sure how I would react if something like this did happen to me.
Unfortunately for two residents of Malawi Steven Mojenza, age 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, age 20, this has been their reality. They were imprisoned at Chichiru Prison in December of 2009, without bail, after having an engagement ceremony to share their love and commitment to each other with their friends and family. They were charged under outdated sodomy laws. However, from the looks of things, it seems that no laws were broken as these were two consenting adults.
Malawi has made great strides in terms of human rights in recent years and this is being seen as a huge setback. Gift Trapence, the executive director of the Malawi human rights group, said in a statement, "There was no victim in this case, yet they were given a very harsh sentence by the judge." Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have become involved and are asking for the release of the two men.
Although homosexuality is still illegal in Malawi the government there does have laws in place to outlaw discrimination. Malawi's solicitor general and secretary for justice and constitutional affairs, Anthony Kamanga, shared, "I do not think that in this particular case that these two people were prejudiced against. We have no law that criminalizes sexual orientation, just sexual acts."
After being in prison for several months, the couple was sentenced this Thursday (05/20/2010) to fourteen years in prison for gross indecency and unnatural acts. It seems as though prejudice is playing a large part in this case as the couple only had an engagement ceremony and did not participate in any sexual acts in public.
The couple released a statement Thursday following the verdict. In it Tiwonge Chimbalanga shared with supporters and the world a piece of the love he has in his heart for his partner, "I love Steven (Mojenza) so much. If people or the world cannot give me the chance and freedon to continue living with him as my lover, then I am better off to die here in prison. Freedom without him is useless and meaningless."
Questions and Answers
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