Voice of America talks to one of the lawyers for Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, the gay couple jailed since late December for holding an engagement ceremony. A Malawian judge on Monday refused to give a verdict in their case, instead directing it to a full court trial and allowing witnesses.
"Mauya Msuku, one of the couple's lawyers said his clients are weighing whether to testify on their own behalf or not…Msuku said what matters is the legality of the government's case and not the church's opinion.'Whether the accused are guilty or not is not dependent on the opinion of a particular grouping or particular sector of society. It's really about what the law says and our view is despite whatever opinion a particular sector of society thinks, we don't think it's relevant to the case,' Msuku said.He said no one has threatened him for defending the gay couple despite the fact that it seems most Malawians are against homosexuality.'I'm not so sure that the majority of Malawians are against it (homosexuality), but probably you might say those people who have access to the media maybe are against it because sometimes the opinion of the people which is heard are the opinions of those people have the platform. And that may not be reflective of the majority thinks,' he said.Msuku said from the defense point of view the case against the gay couple is not as serious as it seems because, according to him, it is not the worst heinous offense under Malawian law."
UK gay activist group Outrage! held a protest in London demanding Malawi free the couple following the judge's ruling. Scenes from the protest, AFTER THE JUMP…
