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 organisations Annex C – Prominent people Annex D – List of abbreviations Annex E – References to source material Return to contents The main text