Malawi : seen in the press

Malawi: death penalty defeated as Supreme Court of Appeal rules it unconstitutional

Tue, 11 May 2021 11:43:00 +0200

Responding to the news that the Supreme Court of Appeal in Malawi has ruled the death penalty unconstitutional, Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, said:“We welcome the judgement of the Supreme Court of Appeal declaring the death penalty unconstitutional in Malawi. This is a vital victory against the death penalty and strengthens the right to life in the country“.

“The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and it has no place in this world. The death penalty is a violation of the right to life and an assault on human rights.“

“It’s time the death penalty was consigned to history. With partners around the world, Amnesty International will continue its global campaign against the death penalty until it is abolished completely everywhere.”

Malawi: stakeholders hail Prison Service menstrual hygiene budget increase

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 12:01:00 +0100

Stakeholders who pushed government to implement an increase in the Malawi Prison Service (MPS) budget to cater for female prisoners’ menstrual hygiene materials.

Taking equitable health to prisons the Malawian way

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 06:07:00 +0200

The late founding president of democratic South Africa, Nelson Mandela, once famously said: “It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”

Malawi: seeking justice for helpless inmates

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 04:02:00 +0200

Young inmates are locked away without any trial in Malawi’s prison cells. Some of them are even unaware of their right to a lawyer. Two legal activists from PASI do their best to secure justice.

Malawi: inmates prepared for life after prison

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 05:04:00 +0200

Inmates at Nkhotakota Prison are learning technical skills that will help them to live an independent life after serving their jail terms. In an interview with Malawi24, Nkhotakota Prison spokesperson Cosmas Meja said many Malawians perceive that prisons are made to punish criminals which is contrary to the mission of Malawi Prison Services.

Malawi to use the OpenTrial app for citizens to access the justice system

Mon, 15 May 2017 01:53:00 +0200

In attendance at the launch to demonstrate the app was the NGO’s (Open Trial) Chief Executive, Frank Richardson, who said that the app will assist with keeping legal system role players under open, public scrutiny. As a result it is hoped that this will encourage integrity, independence, diligence, equality and impartiality in Malawi’s justice system.

Malawi faulted for imprisoning children

Tue, 09 May 2017 08:16:00 +0200

Starless nights of wars force them to flee to countries like Malawi where peace and tranquillity still hovers on the land but, due to conditions of the county’s Prisons, the desire to have a decent place slightly remains a nightmare especially to child immigrants as disclosed by the Global Campaign to End Immigration Detention of Children.

Prisoner’s death sparks tension at Malawi’s maximum prison

Wed, 22 Feb 2017 02:04:00 +0100

Tensions are running high in the Malawi’s maximum prison facility in Zomba at the moment after the death of a prison inmate Elisa Mato who was reportedly beaten to death by warders.

Malawi's murder suspects overstay in prison

Sat, 01 Oct 2016 08:00:00 +0200

The failure by Malawi government to prosecute murder cases timely is resulting in some remanded suspects going mad, a new report has revealed. The report by the Malawi Prison Inspectorate revealed that authorities took at least a year to bring murder suspects to court.

Malawi prisoners go for days without food

Mon, 12 Sep 2016 08:00:00 +0200

As Malawi faces El Nino-induced hunger which has affected 6.5 million people, inmates in the country’s prisons are going for days without food. A survey by Medicins San Frontiers (MSF) revealed that as a food crisis unfolded in the southern Africa nation, prisons were failing to purchase simple food stuffs such as maize flour and beans.
MSF singled out Mulanje as one of the worst-hit penal institutions in Malawi where prisoners were malnourished and looked like living skeletons.