/ 21 May 2010

UN rights chief condemns conviction of Malawi gay couple

The United Nations’s top human rights official has condemned the sentencing of two gay men in Malawi as “blatantly discriminatory”. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called for the sentence of 14 years in prison with hard labour to be repealed.

Pillay says the ruling “could have severe consequences throughout the African continent” and harm efforts to fight HIV/Aids.

A statement issued by her Geneva office Friday said protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation was a fundamental right that couldn’t be overruled on cultural grounds. — Sapa-AP