On 24 January 2012, human rights defender and student activist Mr Ben Chiza Mkandawire was arrested in Lilongwe. He was questioned by police before being released on police bail the same day.

Ben Chiza Mkandawire is a coordinator of the Malawi Diaspora Forum and Youth Association for Democracy in Malawi (YADEMA).

On 24 January, at approximately 5 pm, 15 police officers arrested Ben Chiza Mkandawire at his home in Area 18 in Lilongwe, along with another student activist Hebrews Misomali. Police questioned him on an alleged attempt to mobilise Lilongwe street vendors to hold a protest march and incite them to overthrow the government. While no formal charges have been brought against him, police reportedly stated that the matter remained under investigation.

Ben Chiza Mkandawire called for street sellers to be educated in relation to human rights, respecting women and freedom of dressing following a recent incident in which a gang of individuals, thought to be street vendors, stripped women of their clothes because they were wearing trousers, short skirts and leggings.

Ben Chiza Mkandawire, student at the Huddersfield University (UK), returned to Malawi last year to engage in the pro-refom movement. He was arrested in October 2011 following a demonstration outside the Parliament in Lilongwe carrying a banner calling President Bingu wa Mutharika a dictator. He reported receiving anonymous death threats because of his criticism of the government and engagement in the protest movement.

While welcoming his release, Front Line Defenders believes that the arrest of Ben Chiza Mkandawire is directly related to his work in the defence of human rights and in particular his promotion of education on human rights in Lilongwe.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Malawi to:

Refrain from bringing any charges against human rights defender Ben Chiza Mkandawire as Front Line Defenders believes that these would be solely related to his legitimate human rights work;

Take measures to halt all forms of harassment against human rights defenders, in particular those engaged in the pro-reform movement who have been the target of repression and harassment over the last ten months;

Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Malawi are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.