Sun. May 23, 2010
Madonna condemns a Malawain court's decision to sentence a gay couple to 14 years in jail, saying she was "shocked and saddened" by the developments in the African nation.
In December, 26-year-old Steven Monjeza and 20-year-old Tiwonge Chimbalanga bravely declared their love at Malawi's first-ever publicly acknowledged gay engagement party, two days later they were thrown in jail.
On Tuesday, the couple was convicted of acts of gross indecency and are now facing a possible sentence of 14 years of hard labor.
"As a matter of principle, I believe in equal rights for all people, no matter what their gender, race, color, religion, or sexual orientation," Madonna said in a statement released to Access Hollywood on Thursday. "Today, Malawi took a giant step backward. The world is filled with pain and suffering; therefore, we must support our basic human right to love and be loved."
Madonna adopted two of her children, David and Mercy, from Malawi. She has asked citizens across the world to speak up about sentence.
The verdict has also earned condemnation from the United States and United Kingdom and might might lead to financial problems for the entire country. Malawi gets about 40 percent of their development budget from the west.
Homosexuality is illegal in 37 African countries, including Malawi.
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