134 prisoners freed in Malawi Independence Day amnesty

President Arthur Peter Mutharika has pardoned 134 convicted prisoners serving sentences in various facilities across the country as part of Malawi’s 62nd Independence Day commemorations.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Secretary for Homeland Security Linda Pacharo Moyo said the inmates released had demonstrated good behaviour during their incarceration and met all criteria required for a presidential pardon.

Moyo said this year’s clemency list includes chronically ill prisoners, women accompanied by infants, elderly inmates, and those who have served at least half of their sentences.

She said the exercise is conducted annually and is grounded in Section 89(2) of the Constitution, which empowers the President to grant mercy, commute sentences or remit punishment.

The pardons come as rights groups continue to highlight overcrowding and poor conditions in Malawi’s prisons, urging government to pair Independence Day releases with broader reforms to improve inmate welfare and reduce congestion.