The United Kingdom (UK) has expressed concern over pre-election attacks by panga-wielding thugs on peaceful protesters, allegedly in the presence of security forces.
Speaking during Malawi’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday, UK Ambassador for Human Rights to the UN, Eleanor Sanders, commended Malawi for conducting peaceful elections in September.
Still, Sanders bemoaned what she called worrying developments affecting human rights in the country.
She said the UK had observed instances where state institutions appeared to undermine citizens’ rights, including cases where people were denied permission to demonstrate and reports of arrests and threats against journalists.
“We urge the government to ensure the country’s human rights framework is upheld by all state institutions and that any complaints of abuses are fully investigated,” she said.
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The UK has also recommended that Malawi legislate to remove the death penalty from its statute books and adopt a national action plan to enhance institutional mechanisms for protecting human rights for all, especially the rights of women and girls and protection against sexual and gender-based violence.
It has also recommended that Malawi allow refugees freedoms of movement, work and education.
Delivering a virtual presentation, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Victor Musowa said Malawi has made progress towards abolishing the death penalty as part of its human rights reforms.
Musowa added that in the previous cohort of Parliament, the Legal Affairs Committee undertook extensive research into the future of the death penalty, with technical support from non-governmental organisation Reprieve Malawi.
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He said the findings showed overwhelming public support for abolition, with between 80 and 90 percent of Malawians reportedly favouring the removal of the death sentence from the country’s statutes.
Musowa further said the committee’s work had culminated in a Private Member’s Bill, which was, however, not tabled before the end of the previous parliamentary term.
“Unfortunately, the mover and the seconder of the bill both did not return to Parliament after the elections.
“Out of the five members of the task force, only two have come back and I am one of them,” he said.
Musowa added that government will continue the process and that the groundwork laid by the previous Parliament has positioned the new one to act decisively.
