Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick has welcomed cross-party support at the Scottish Parliament for his motion urging the Scottish Parliament to condemn illegal and homophobic arrests and treatment of prisoners by the authorities in Malawi as contravening the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights and international human rights.
At present more than 20 MSPs from all parties have supported the motion which also calls on the Scottish Government to urge the Malawian government to release the two men immediately and to end the criminalisation on homosexuality in Malawi.
It also calls for an end to police harassment of HIV educators and human rights defenders in the country.
Speaking today, Joe FitzPatrick said: “I am pleased that this motion is rapidly attracting signatures from MSPs of all parties. Although Scotland does not have an official foreign policy role – that is reserved to Westminster - this is an important issue of human rights and we must speak up and mobilise public opinion in Scotland against these discrimatory and illegal acts.
“Malawi is one of several African countries adopting increasingly homophobic attitudes, with Uganda having recently introducing anti-homosexual legislation including the death penalty and other repressive practices being introduced in Gambia.
“Apart from the human rights violations, and the disciminatory nature of the contraventions, it is likely that these retrogade and illegal moves will considerably set back efforts to combat the massive problem of HIV AIDS in the African sub-continent.”
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February 14th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
[...] Partnership – to promote gay-rights in the country (although SNP MSP, Jim Fitzpatrick has written approvingly of such [...]