A Zimbabwe court released two males last week after keeping them in jail for six days. They were employees of a gay organization and had been arrested on allegations of possessing indecent material and displaying a placard seen as insulting to President Robert Mugabe, whose hatred of homosexuality is well known.
The Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe organization said on Thursday, the two employees were assaulted by police while in custody. Their legal advisor, David Hofisi, also said they were made to bend their knees into a sitting position with their arms outstretched for long periods and were struck with bottles when they weakened and fell, a well known method of torture.
A Magistrate released the two on Thursday on bail of $200 each, their trial set for 10th June, however, they are not expected to face a lenient sentence. Homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe as it is in most African countries.
It's claimed by the authorities that the two men had some gay sex photograph and had also put up a letter in their office from the former mayor of San Francisco Willie Lewis Brown which criticized Mugabe for his hatred of homosexuality.
Jason Shaw
© 2010 Copyright Jason Shaw
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