Pressure is mounting for Malawi Police to set free two outspoken human rights defenders, Gift Trapence and MacDonald Sembereka in Lilongwe.

The latest to make demands is the Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network that fears for the lives of the two during the period of their detention arguing anything can happen including torture and slow poisoning.

The Network connects the arrests to statements made by the Democratic Progressive Party-DPP officials at a political rally President Peter Mutharika held at Njamba Freedom Park in Blantyre.