LAB officers addressing inmates in Nkhotakota
During the past week, the Legal Aid Bureau (LAB), Office of the Ombudsman (OoO), and the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) visited four prisons in the districts of Thyolo, Zomba, Nkhotakota, and Kasungu.
The four governance institutions made the visits to civic educate prisoners about their works and how people can seek assistance regarding their rights and legal needs.
Speaking on behalf of the institutions, an official from the MHRC, Rasford Chilalo, explained that children, women, and the elderly are usual victims of human rights violations and do not know where to lodge their complaints.
“There are other rights of prisoners that need to be equally respected. These include the right to being informed of what crimes one has allegedly committed, right to access to good quality food and water, and being treated fairly under the law while following all necessary procedures,” added Chilalo.
At all the prisons, LAB gave inmates a chance to ask questions about any legal processes, and to register cases if they require the assistance of a lawyer.
Senior Legal Aid Advocate Peter Tsabola emphasized that inmates have a right to legal representation and can reach LAB through their relatives or in during moments when lawyers have paid them a visit.
“You can be entitled to any right, but that right can be noticed only when those responsible are making sure that you enjoy the rights. We help those who are indigent and cannot afford a private lawyer. We ensure that we reach out to as many people as possible, including those in prisons like you,” explained Tsabola.
In educating the inmates about their rights, the OoO through its representative pointed out that the information shared should also be used when they are released from prison in the company of relatives and friends.
Thyolo Prison is keeping 50 women, Mikuyu 1 Prison in Zomba is keeping 260 inmates, while Kasungu Prison is keeping 560 inmates.
The visits were made possible with funding from the European Union’s Chilungamo Programme 2 under the awareness pool funds.
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