Zambia court finds men guilty of gay relationship

2018-08-03 16:01
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A Zambian court on Friday convicted two men for homosexuality, the latest such ruling in the conservative African nation which has resisted international pressure to lift its tough anti-gay laws.

The court in the northern town of Kapiri Mposhi found Stephen Sambo, 30, and Japhet Chataba, 38, guilty of "performing unnatural acts".

The pair, who were arrested last August, will be sentenced by a higher court.

They were convicted on the testimony of a hotel employee who said she saw the pair having sex through a window. Prosecutors also presented videos and photographs of the men.

President Edgar Lungu has spoken out strongly against gay rights, despite pressure from donor countries that provide essential aid to the country.

People convicted of same-sex relations in Zambia face jail sentences of up to 14 years.

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