MALAWI COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 19 November 2010 MALAWI 19 NOVEMBER 2010 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN MALAWI FROM 13 NOVEMBER 2010 TO 19 NOVEMBER 2010 Useful news sources for further information REPORTS ON MALAWI PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 13 NOVEMBER 2010 AND 19 NOVEMBER 2010 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................1.01 Map...........................................................................................................................1.03 2. ECONOMY ....................................................................................................................2.01 3. HISTORY .....................................................................................................................3.01 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS .................................................................................................4.01 Pardon for gay couple...........................................................................................4.01 National flag..........................................................................................................4.03 Local government elections..................................................................................4.04 5. CONSTITUTION ..............................................................................................................5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM .........................................................................................................6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................7.01 8. CRIME ........................................................................................................................8.01 9. SECURITY FORCES .........................................................................................................9.01 Police........................................................................................................................9.01 Armed forces...........................................................................................................9.03 Human rights violations by government forces..................................................9.05 Arbitrary arrest and detention...............................................................................9.05 Torture...................................................................................................................9.06 Extra-judicial killings.............................................................................................9.08 Avenues of complaint.............................................................................................9.09 10. MILITARY SERVICE .........................................................................................................10.01 11. JUDICIARY ...................................................................................................................11.01 Organisation............................................................................................................11.02 Independence..........................................................................................................11.03 Fair trial....................................................................................................................11.04 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS ...........................................................................12.01 13. PRISON CONDITIONS .......................................................................................................13.01 14. DEATH PENALTY ............................................................................................................14.01 15. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ....................................................................................................15.01 Freedom of political expression............................................................................15.01 Freedom of association and assembly.................................................................15.02 Opposition groups and political activists............................................................15.04 16. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ......................................................................................16.01 17. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS ..................................................17.01 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 12 November 2010. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 19 November 2010. 19 NOVEMBER 2010 MALAWI 18. CORRUPTION ................................................................................................................18.01 19. FREEDOM OF RELIGION ...................................................................................................19.01 20. ETHNIC GROUPS ............................................................................................................20.01 21. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS ...........................................................21.01 Legal rights..............................................................................................................21.01 Treatment by, and attitudes of, state authorities................................................21.05 Societal treatment and attitudes...........................................................................21.11 22. DISABILITY ...................................................................................................................22.01 23. WOMEN ......................................................................................................................23.01 Overview..................................................................................................................23.01 Legal rights..............................................................................................................23.03 Political rights.........................................................................................................23.05 Social and economic rights...................................................................................23.07 Violence against women........................................................................................23.10 Domestic violence.................................................................................................23.10 Rape......................................................................................................................23.16 Assistance for women...........................................................................................23.18 24. CHILDREN ....................................................................................................................24.01 Overview..................................................................................................................24.01 Basic legal information..........................................................................................24.03 Legal rights..............................................................................................................24.06 Violence against children.......................................................................................24.09 Childcare and protection........................................................................................24.12 Education.................................................................................................................24.16 Health and welfare..................................................................................................24.20 25. TRAFFICKING ................................................................................................................25.01 26. MEDICAL ISSUES ...........................................................................................................26.01 Overview of availability of medical treatment and drugs...................................26.01 HIV/AIDS – anti-retroviral treatment......................................................................26.06 Cancer treatment.....................................................................................................26.12 Mental health...........................................................................................................26.15 27. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT .................................................................................................27.01 28. FOREIGN REFUGEES .......................................................................................................28.01 29. CITIZENSHIP AND NATIONALITY ..........................................................................................29.01 30. EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS .....................................................................................................30.01 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 12 November 2010. iii Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 19 November