Patrick Grady – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-12-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will issue a response to Early Day Motion 884, Arrests in Malawi of Cuthbert Kulemela and Kelving Gonani.
James Duddridge
The British Government’s position is clear: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual persons should not be discriminated against in any way. The British High Commission in Lilongwe discussed the arrest of the two men involved in this case with the Government of Malawi soon after receiving media reports and we made clear our concerns about the case. We welcome the 19 December statement by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs that affirms the moratorium on the arrest and prosecution of consensual homosexual acts. We understand criminal charges against the men involved in this case have now been dropped. We welcome the Government of Malawi’s commitment to review the laws on homosexuality under the penal code and their invitation to involve civil society in that process.
