MHRC calls for fair trial of rights activists: Arrests politically motivated

State run Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) chairperson Reverend Patrick Semphere has called for a fair trial of Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) activists, saying their arrests were highly politically motivated.

Semphere said MHRC will be following the case of the HRDC chairperson Timothy Mtambo, vice chairperson Gift Trapence and MacDonald Sembereka with keen interest.

“The arrest of the three came after a political rally podium pronouncement. This means the police did not act on their own and professionally in arresting the activists. We don’t condone arbitrary arrests,” said Semmphere.

Ironically, the HRDC officials went to court to stop the swearing in ceremony of this cohort of MHRC commissioners, arguing some of them were erroneously appointed.

Semphere said what the police did by following political orders to effect the arrests was both unprofessional and unethical and against the law.

Mtambo, Trapence and Sembereka were arrested last week on allegations that they incited people to shut down state residences across the country.

The trio wanted to shut down the state residences to force President Peter Mutharika fire the Malawi Electoral Commission commissioners following recommendations from the Constitutional Court and parliament’s Public Appointments Committee because of flawed May 21, 2019 presidential election.

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