Paul Kasonkomona found not guilty

| Jonathan Dockney
Paul Kasonkomona. Photo courtesy Tillmans/i-Base.

Paul Kasonkomona, a human rights activists working in Zambia, has been acquitted after almost a year of legal proceedings.

He was arrested in April 2013 after appearing on Zambian television calling on the government to decriminalise homosexuality and sex work to combat the spread of HIV. He was charged with ā€œsoliciting in a public place for immoral purposesā€.

Magistrate Lameck Ngā€™ambi at the Lusaka Magistratesā€™ Court found that the government had not proved its case against Paul.

Anneke Meerkotter of the Southern Africa Litigation Centre said the acquittal was a ā€œgreat victory for freedom of expression in Zambiaā€ and a step forward for gay rights.

ā€œKasonkomona did not deserve to be arrested for expressing his opinion and the court ruling vindicates his rights,ā€ she said.

The magistrate had clearly stated that public discussion was important in a democracy, she said, even on controversial matters and matters that were ā€œuncomfortable to many peopleā€, such as gay rights.

Meerkotter said that this ruling would encourage people to speak out openly about topics of ā€œreal importanceā€ to Zambians.

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TOPICS:  Gender Human Rights Society

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