May 24, 2010
Zimbabwe police raid gay group offices, arrest 2
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 1 MIN.
A defense attorney says police in Zimbabwe have arrested two members of a local gay organization.
Attorney David Hofisi says he has not been allowed to visit them in jail since their arrest Friday but they were expected to be brought to court later Monday.
Ellen Chadehama, 34, and Ingatius Mhambi, 38, are employees of the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) organization. They were arrested on allegations under Zimbabwe's censorship laws.
Police raided the offices of their gay and HIV/Aids awareness group searching for indecent materials, and removed documents and computer files.
Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries. President Robert Mugabe has described same-sex partners as "lower than dogs and pigs" but arrests of gays are rare in Zimbabwe.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
