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Malawi Government Faces Pressure to Release Arrested Activists

Lameck Masina

   BLANTYRE, MALAWI - Pressure is mounting on Malawi's government to
   release three activists detained this week for planning to hold
   protests aimed at shutting down presidential residences.

   Two members of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) -- vice
   chairperson Gift Trapence and member Macdonald Sembereka -- were
   arrested Sunday after saying they would organize demonstrations.HRDC
   chairperson Timothy Mtambo surrendered to police Tuesday.

   Their aim was to pressure President Peter Mutharika to sign electoral
   reform bills paving the way for fresh elections after Malawi's
   constitutional court nullified last May's polls. The court cited
   massive irregularities in the vote, which saw Mutharika reelected.

   The electoral bills propose a date for fresh elections and procedures
   to follow in case of runoffs.

   Police say Mtambo, Trapence and Sembereka will face charges of inciting
   people to close state residences, under Section 124 of the Penal Code.

   Rights group criticizes arrests

   But Amnesty International says the arrests are a government attempt to
   crack down on dissenting views.

   The international human rights body has asked Malawi authorities to
   "immediately and unconditionally release the detained activists."

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