Zimbabwean gay activists arrested
Two employees of the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) organisation were arrested last Friday in Harare, the country’s capital.
Police raided the offices of the gay rights and HIV-awareness group and arrested Ellen Chadehama (34) and Ingatius Mhambi (38) over allegations pertaining to the country’s censorship laws. Claiming they were searching for ‘indecent’ material, they removed several documents and computer files.
Attorney David Hofisi said he had not been able to visit Ms Chadehama or Mr Mhambi in prison since their arrest, but they were expected to be seen in court later today.
The President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, has said that he considers gay and lesbian people “worse than dogs or pigs”. While homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe, arrests are relatively rare.