Malawi is shelving its laws against homosexuality pending a vote on whether to repeal them, a rights group said, a bold move in a continent that mostly  criminalizes such relationships.

The justice minister said the laws are suspended and police cannot arrest or prosecute homosexuals until parliament votes, Amnesty

International said in a statement Monday.
Same-sex relationships are illegal in the southern Africa nation and carry a penalty of up to 14 years in prison.