Malawian Gay Couple Pardoned, Freed

After facing international condemnation over the fourteen-year sentencing of homosexual couple, Tiwonge Chimbalanga (pictured, right) and Steven Monjeza (left back), for gross indecency and unnatural acts, Malawian president, Bingu wa Mutharika, has released the pair on "humanitarian grounds only". Mutharika emphasized that homosexuality is still illegal in Malawi.

Crowds of Malawians had heckled Chimbalanga and Monjeza during the court hearings and said they deserved an even longer sentence.

Activists are currently seeking a safe house for the couple, and some speculate they'll need to seek asylum elsewhere. They view the ruling as a good sign though, which could lead to change in Malawian laws and attitudes.

Last week, Madonna, who has two adopted Malawian children and is building a school there, had announced that she was "shocked and saddened" by the the sentencing. "I call upon the progressive men and women of Malawi - and around the world - to challenge this decision in the name of human dignity and equal rights for all," Madonna told Us Weekly.