HARARE, Zimbabwe — Police have arrested two members of a gay organization after they posted a letter in their office from former San Francisco Mayor Willie Lewis Brown criticizing the Zimbabwean president's opposition to homosexuality, their lawyer said 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 on Friday.
Attorney David Hofisi said the two will remain in jail until Wednesday — Tuesday is a public holiday in Zimbabwe — after police seized the letter from the organization's suburban offices.
Police said the letter, mounted on an office wall, "undermined the authority of the president," an offense under sweeping security laws carrying a penalty of a fine or brief imprisonment.
Police raided the offices of the gay and HIV/AIDS awareness group Friday, removing documents and files.
Hofisi said he was not allowed to visit the two staff members in jail over the weekend.
"We asked the police to release them to us so we can come with them to court on Wednesday, but they have denied that," he said.
The U.S. mayor's letter also commended the local organization as a champion of gay rights. Brown did not respond to requests for comment left at his San Francisco office by The Associated Press. Link
