Men detained over suspected gay marriage ceremony

Ten men have been arrested for allegedly conducting a same-sex marriage ceremony in Zanzibar. BBC News reports that no charges have yet been brought against the men who are all Tanzanian. They remain in custody. Six other men escaped after police, who are believed to have received a tip-off from members of the public, raided the party, according to rights group Amnesty International. The organisation’s East Africa deputy director Seif Magango said it was ‘mind-boggling that the mere act of sitting in a pair can assume criminal proportions’. He added that he feared the men may be subjected to forced anal examination and called for their immediate release. As previoulsy reported in Legalbrief Today, the EU on Monday recalled its ambassador to Tanzania, citing 'the deterioration of the human rights and rule of law situation' in the East African country after a government official called for the outing and arrests of homosexuals. Homosexuality is illegal in Tanzania, where statements against homosexuals have been on the rise since President John Magufuli's election in 2015.

Full BBC News report