Audio By Carbonatix
Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu on Monday pardoned a gay couple who was sentenced to 15 years in prison over ‘‘unnatural acts’‘. The amnesty was granted for Freedom Day celebration in Africa, a local press said.
The sentencing of 39-year old Japhet Chataba and 31-year old Steven Samba at the end of 2019, caused tensions with the United States.
The U.S Ambassador to Lusaka, Daniel Foote, then said he was horrified by the court’s decision, arousing harsh response in conservative Zambia.
The U.S recalled its ambassador after President Lungu said the ambassador was no longer welcomed in the country.
Chataba and Samba are among 2,984 prisoners pardoned by President Lungu, the newspaper reported.
Zambia does not explicitly prohibit homosexual relations, but its Constitution frowns on ‘‘any carnal relations against natural order’‘.
Latest Stories
-
Parrott scores again as Betis beat 10-man Lille
17 minutes -
Mbappe goes joint-fifth in the list as real Madrid beat Inter Milan
27 minutes -
Police arrest suspects over murder, bank robberies, gold-related attacks
35 minutes -
Pragyia rider gets three months prison term for biting Police Assistant
45 minutes -
Palm wine tapper jailed for stabbing farmer
56 minutes -
Travel and tour agent remanded over GH¢107,000 recruitment scam
1 hour -
Taxi rank executives arrested over alleged attempted murder
1 hour -
Galamsey operator who posed as pastor to defile student jailed 15 years
2 hours -
Court sentences pub owner, shop attendant for selling expired food, sanitary offences
2 hours -
Mac Allister ‘sad’ at no Liverpool contract offer
2 hours -
Ghana pays $3.5m to University of Memphis over scholarship debt
2 hours -
Fidelity Bank champions value chain approach to unlock Ghana’s agricultural potential
2 hours -
People don’t remember style of play – GFA Comms Director defends Quieroz appointment
3 hours -
Finance Ministry needs ‘refresher course’ in own records over GES recruitment – Adutwum’s spokesperson
3 hours -
Techiman 24-hour market project on course as Regional Minister inspects work, hails construction quality
3 hours