MALAWI COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 26 August 2011 MALAWI 26 AUGUST 2011 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN MALAWI FROM 1 AUGUST 2011 TO 25 AUGUST 2011 Useful news sources for further information Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Map ........................................................................................................................ 1.05 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY (19TH CENTURY TO 2010) ............................................................................ 3.01 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS (JANUARY – JULY 2011) ...................................................... 4.01 Same-sex physical relations between women criminalised ............................. 4.01 Local government elections ................................................................................ 4.02 Foreign donor aid to Malawi suspended ............................................................ 4.04 Anti government protests: July 2011 .................................................................. 4.07 5. CONSTITUTION .......................................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................................... 6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY FORCES .................................................................................................... 8.01 Police ..................................................................................................................... 8.06 Armed forces ........................................................................................................ 8.08 Human rights violations by government forces ................................................ 8.10 Arbitrary arrest and detention ............................................................................. 8.10 Torture ................................................................................................................ 8.11 Extra-judicial killings ........................................................................................... 8.13 Avenues of complaint .......................................................................................... 8.14 9. MILITARY SERVICE .................................................................................................... 9.01 10. JUDICIARY ................................................................................................................ 10.01 Organisation ......................................................................................................... 10.02 Independence ....................................................................................................... 10.04 Fair trial ................................................................................................................. 10.08 11. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS .................................................................. 11.01 12. PRISON CONDITIONS ................................................................................................. 12.01 13. DEATH PENALTY ....................................................................................................... 13.01 14. POLITICAL AFFILIATION.............................................................................................. 14.01 Freedom of political expression.......................................................................... 14.01 Freedom of association and assembly ............................................................... 14.02 Opposition groups and political activists .......................................................... 14.04 15. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ............................................................................... 15.01 16. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS .................................... 16.01 17. CORRUPTION ............................................................................................................ 17.01 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 31 July 2011. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 25 August 2011. 26 AUGUST 2011 MALAWI 18. FREEDOM OF RELIGION .............................................................................................. 18.01 19. ETHNIC GROUPS ....................................................................................................... 19.01 20. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS .............................................. 20.01 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 20.01 Treatment by, and attitudes of, state authorities ............................................... 20.06 Societal treatment and attitudes ......................................................................... 20.13 LGBT support ....................................................................................................... 20.19 21. DISABILITY ............................................................................................................... 21.01 22. WOMEN ................................................................................................................... 22.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 22.01 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 22.03 Political rights ....................................................................................................... 22.05 Social and economic rights ................................................................................. 22.08 Violence against women ...................................................................................... 22.12 Gender-based and domestic violence ................................................................ 22.12 Rape and sexual harassment ............................................................................. 22.19 Health and welfare ................................................................................................ 22.22 23. CHILDREN ................................................................................................................ 23.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 23.01 Basic legal information ....................................................................................... 23.03 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 23.06 Violence against children .................................................................................... 23.09 Early and forced marriage .................................................................................. 23.12 Childcare and protection ..................................................................................... 23.14 Education .............................................................................................................. 23.18 Health and welfare ................................................................................................ 23.22 24. TRAFFICKING ............................................................................................................ 24.01 25. MEDICAL ISSUES ....................................................................................................... 25.01 Overview of availability of medical treatment and drugs .................................. 25.01 HIV/AIDS – anti-retroviral treatment .................................................................... 25.07 Cancer treatment .................................................................................................. 25.11 Kidney dialysis ..................................................................................................... 25.15 Mental health ........................................................................................................ 25.16 26. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT ........................................................................................... 26.01 27. FOREIGN REFUGEES .................................................................................................. 27.01 28. CITIZENSHIP AND NATIONALITY .................................................................................. 28.01 29. EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS ............................................................................................... 29.01 Annexes Annex A – Chronology of major events Annex B – Political organisations Annex C – Prominent people Annex D – List of abbreviations Annex E – References to source material The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 31 July 2011. iii Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 25 August 2011. 26 AUGUST 2011 MALAWI