Police in Tanzania arrested 10 men
attending a gay wedding in Zanzibar.
According to The
Independent, the men are being checked for signs of same-sex
relations.
Police said they received a tip about a
gay wedding taking place at a resort hotel at Pongwe Beach last week.
The arrests come after the regional
governor of Tanzania's largest city, Dar es Salaam, asked the public
to help identify people suspected of being gay.
Gay sex is illegal in Tanzania, where
violators face up to 30 years in prison.
(Related: Tanzania's
president says cows disapprove of homosexuality.)
In a statement posted Friday, the U.S.
Department of State said that it was “deeply concerned” about the
government's crackdown on the LGBT community.
“We are troubled by the continued
arrests and harassment of marginalized persons, including lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender people and others who seek to exercise
their rights to freedom of speech, association and assembly,” the
department said.
Last week, the European Union recalled
its envoy in Tanzania.
“The E.U. regrets the deterioration
of the human rights and rule of law situation in Tanzania and will be
conducting a broad review of its relations with Tanzania,” a
spokesperson said.