Wearing a rainbow-themed Swatch watch in Malaysia could now land you three years in jail
Anybody who wears, sells, imports or distributes the Swiss watchmaker’s rainbow-themed products — including watches, accessories or related packaging — faces not only the possibility of a jail term, but also a fine of up to 20,000 ringgit if convicted, according to official gazetted documents seen by CNN. Homosexuality is a crime punishable by fines and prison terms of up to 20 years in Malaysia, a Muslim majority country that has seen a rise in conservative attitudes in recent years.
Lawyers for the brand said they were unable to comment due to the ongoing legal proceedings. ‘Political punching bag’ Rights groups say the LGBTQ community faces growing intolerance in Malaysia and accuse the government of being at least partly to blame. “The LGBTQ community in Malaysia has suffered so much abuse from the government as well as the opposition from being used as a political punching bag,” Phil Robertson, the Deputy Asia Director of Human Rights Watch, told CNN.
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