Zambian gay rights and HIV activist Paul Kasonkomona has been arrested in Lusaka for appearing on television discussing homosexuality and the need for equal rights for homosexuals in Zambia.
Kasonkomona was interviewed on the privately-owned Muvi television channel when police entered the building and tried to stop the interview mid-broadcast. Sources told the AFP the station manager refused to allow the disruption.
The renowned activist was arrested upon stepping out of the Muvi building at the end of the show.
He had been calling for the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Zambia on air, prompting his arrest for “inciting the public to take part in indecent activities”.
South African campaign group Ndifuna Ukwazi – Dare to Know – has responded to the arrest by instituting an online petition addressed to Zambian president Michael Sata, demanding Kasonkomona’s release and calling for the decriminalisation of “consensual sex between adults in private irrespective of sexual orientation and gender identity”.
