Zimbabwe Rejects Calls for LGBT Rights

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay

During United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay’s first-ever visit to Zimbabwe, country officials have rejected calls for basic LGBT rights in the African nation, the Associated Press reports.

According to the AP, Zimbabwe's justice minister, Patrick Chinamasa, told Pillay at the start of her visit that the country will continue to arrest gays for same-sex relations, which are illegal in the country.

Pillay’s five-day tour of the country to assess human rights violations will include a meeting with Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe (read the report here).

Meanwhile, in nearby Malawi, the country’s new president, Joyce Banda, said Friday that she favors repealing an antigay law.