London: 'Sherlock' star Benedict Cumberbatch is backing a petition for the British government to pardon men who have been punished for being gay.


Benedict Cumberbatch 

The Emmy Award winner, who is engaged to theatre director Sophie Hunter, has joined the campaign along with 40,000 others who are calling for the authorities to apologise for convicting more than 49,000 homosexuals for gross indecency in the past, including 15,000 men who are still alive, reported BBC online.