MALAWI COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 31 OCTOBER 2012 MALAWI 31 OCTOBER 2012 Contents Preface Useful news sources for further information Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................... 1.01 Map ........................................................................................................................... 1.05 2. ECONOMY .................................................................................................................. 2.01 3. HISTORY .................................................................................................................... 3.01 Local government elections .................................................................................. 3.05 Foreign donor aid to Malawi suspended ............................................................. 3.07 Anti-government protests: July 2011 ................................................................... 3.10 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS (JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER 2012) .......................................... 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION ............................................................................................................ 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ...................................................................................................... 6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 7.01 8. SECURITY FORCES ...................................................................................................... 8.01 Police ....................................................................................................................... 8.01 Armed forces .......................................................................................................... 8.03 Human rights violations by government forces ................................................. 8.04 Arbitrary arrest and detention .............................................................................. 8.04 Torture .................................................................................................................. 8.06 Extra-judicial killings ............................................................................................. 8.08 Avenues of complaint ............................................................................................ 8.09 9. MILITARY SERVICE ...................................................................................................... 9.01 10. JUDICIARY .................................................................................................................. 10.01 Organisation ........................................................................................................... 10.01 Independence ......................................................................................................... 10.02 Fair trial .................................................................................................................... 10.03 11. ARREST AND DETENTION - LEGAL RIGHTS ..................................................................... 11.01 12. PRISON AND DETENTION CENTRE 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 Overview .................................................................................................................. 15.01 Internet ..................................................................................................................... 15.09 Journalists .............................................................................................................. 15.10 16. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS ..................................... 16.01 17. CORRUPTION .............................................................................................................. 17.01 18. FREEDOM OF RELIGION................................................................................................ 18.01 The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 2 26 September 2012. 31 OCTOBER 2012 MALAWI Religious demography ........................................................................................... 18.03 19. ETHNIC GROUPS ......................................................................................................... 19.01 20. SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY ............................................................... 20.01 Legal rights ............................................................................................................. 20.01 Treatment by, and attitude of, state authorities .................................................. 20.06 Societal treatment and attitudes ........................................................................... 20.14 21. WOMEN ...................................................................................................................... 21.01 Legal rights ............................................................................................................. 21.01 Political rights ......................................................................................................... 21.05 Social and economic rights ................................................................................... 21.08 Violence against women ........................................................................................ 21.16 22. CHILDREN .................................................................................................................. 22.01 Overview .................................................................................................................. 22.01 Basic legal information ......................................................................................... 22.04 Legal rights ............................................................................................................. 22.06 Birth registration and citizenship .......................................................................... 22.09 Violence against children ...................................................................................... 22.11 Female genital mutilation (FGM) .......................................................................... 22.14 Early or forced marriage ....................................................................................... 22.15 Child labour .......................................................................................................... 22.17 Sexual abuse ........................................................................................................ 22.21 Protection ............................................................................................................. 22.22 Education ................................................................................................................ 22.23 Health and welfare .................................................................................................. 22.25 23. TRAFFICKING .............................................................................................................. 23.01 Overview .................................................................................................................. 23.01 Government efforts to tackle trafficking .............................................................. 23.02 Protection for victims ............................................................................................ 23.03 24. MEDICAL ISSUES ......................................................................................................... 24.01 Overview of availability of medical treatment and drugs .................................. 24.01 HIV/AIDS – anti-retroviral treatment ..................................................................... 24.04 Cancer treatment .................................................................................................... 24.11 Kidney dialysis ....................................................................................................... 24.14 Mental health ........................................................................................................... 24.15 25. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT ............................................................................................. 25.01 26. CITIZENSHIP AND NATIONALITY .................................................................................... 26.01 27. FOREIGN REFUGEES .................................................................................................... 27.01 Annexes Annex A – Chronology of major events Annex B – Political