Gay refugee arrested in Zimbabwe

Ben Townley:

A gay man granted asylum in the UK has been arrested whilst on a return trip to his home country of Zimbabwe, according to press reports.

Samson Chifamba, 27, was arrested in the country and remanded in custody until May 10th, the Zimbabwe Observer reports.

Chifamba was granted UK asylum in 2003, after he said he would be persecuted and jailed because of his sexuality in Zimbabwe.

The African country has become notorious for its stance on gay issues and its human rights record under President Robert Mugabe.

Civil rights campaigners regularly accuse the country's government of rounding up lesbian and gay people and torturing them, as well as using violence to quash any dissenters of Mugabe's regime.

News and Blogosphere:

Zimbabwe Arrests Man UK Granted Asylum As Gay

Zimbabwean arrested for illegally entering country

'Gay' Zimbabwean arrested