EXTERNAL (for general distribution) AI Index: AFR 36/06/93
Distr: UA/SC
UA 11/93 Fear of ill-treatment/legal concern 15 January 1993
MALAWI: Chakakala Chaziya, opposition leader
Khoswe, businessman
Johnson, opposition activist
and a driver
Chakakala Chaziya, vice-chairman of the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF)
party, was arrested at his home in the Malawian capital of Lilongwe on 5 January
1993. He was arrested the day after an official of the ruling Malawi Congress Party
(MCP) publicly accused him of being involved with a news magazine critical of the
government, which was published anonymously by exile government opponents and smuggled
into Malawi. The magazine did not advocate violence and appears to have no connection
with the UDF or Chakakala Chaziya himself.
Chakakala Chaziya was a Minister of Finance and bank governor during the 1980s.
The three other prisoners mentioned above (whose full names are not known to Amnesty
International) were arrested two or three days before Chakakala Chaziya. A vehicle
owned by Khoswe (a businessman in Lilongwe) was reportedly stopped by police at a
roadblock and the two occupants - Johnson (described as a local UDF activist) and
the driver - were arrested. The owner was arrested the next day. They were apparently
accused of having copies of the same opposition news magazine in the vehicle for
distribution. The police reportedly allege a connection between them and Chakakala
Chaziya.
All four are held in Maula prison in Lilongwe without charge or any official
explanation. Chakakala Chaziya has reportedly been allowed a visit from his family
and his lawyer has applied for habeas corpus. Conditions in Maula prison are harsh
and there are fears that these prisoners could be tortured or ill-treated.
Amnesty International believes that Chakakala Chaziya is a prisoner of conscience
imprisoned for his non-violent political activities as a leading campaigner for a
multi-party system. The other three also appear to be prisoners of conscience
imprisoned for their opinions and as part of a government attempt to restrict
opposition campaigning.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On 31 December 1992 Life-President Kamuzu Banda announced that a referendum would
be held on 15 March 1993 on whether or not to retain the one-party system. Two opposition
parties, the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) and the United Democratic Front (UDF),
now have offices in Malawi and although an earlier AFORD rally in Blantyre on 20
December 1992 resulted in numerous arrests, a recent joint AFORD/UDF rally in Blantyre
on 11 January 1993 passed off without incident. However, the continued imprisonment
of AFORD chairman Chakufwa Chihana (see UA 114/92, AFR 36/09/92, 6 April 1992, and