YAS Demands Transparency Over Easter Prisoner Pardons in Malawi

The human rights organization Youth and Society (YAS) has formally written to the Malawi Prisons Department, demanding transparency over the recent release of inmates during the Easter holiday.

Last Saturday, the President Dr Lazarus Chakwera pardoned 21 prisoners and commuted the sentences of several others as part of the Easter clemency tradition.

However, the Prisons Department has not disclosed the names of those released, a move YAS says undermines the public’s right to information.

Invoking the Access to Information Act, YAS has requested the full list of pardoned individuals, details on the selection criteria, and the offenses committed by those freed.

YAS Executive Director Charles Kajoloweka emphasized that secrecy around such decisions fuels suspicions of favoritism, political interference, and abuse of authority.

He raised concerns that without transparency, there is a risk of releasing individuals convicted of serious crimes like child abuse and murder, who may not deserve such leniency.

The organization argues that this information is essential to ensure fairness and accountability in the pardon process.

Meanwhile the prison department is yet to comment on the matter.