Malawi court cancels arrest warrants for activists
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In Lilongwe, Malawi, Chief Resident Magistrate Austin Banda cancelled arrest warrants for Gift Trapence, Timothy Mtambo, and Rev MacDonald Sembereka.
The three former leaders of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition had challenged the warrants, arguing they were no longer valid because the original criminal case against them ended in 2020. Their lawyer, Khwima Nchizi, demonstrated that court records showed a magistrate had withdrawn the case and released the accused, nullifying any remaining bail conditions.
The Malawi Police Service, represented by Director of Prosecutions Prescott Mwaiulipo, initially opposed the cancellation, stating the activists hadn’t proven the case was formally withdrawn and that warrants remain valid until acted upon. However, Magistrate Banda sided with the activists, finding no legal basis for the warrants given the court’s 2020 decision. The ruling concludes a legal dispute over the status of the 2020 case and confirms that the activists are no longer subject to arrest under those former charges.
