By The Forum

Human rights groups in Malawi have expressed outrage following confirmation that six police officers convicted of murder are among prisoners pardoned by President Peter Mutharika during the 2025 Christmas and New Year festive season.

Exercising presidential powers under Section 89(2) of the Malawi Constitution, Mutharika pardoned 222 inmates, including those who had served at least half of their sentences, the elderly, women and the chronically ill.

However, public anger has mounted after reports revealed that six former police officers convicted of murdering Buleya Lule were included among those pardoned.

Lule, who was a suspect in the abduction of a person with albinism, died in police custody in February 2019 after allegedly being tortured during interrogation. In December 2024, the High Court convicted six police officers of his murder. They were sentenced in February 2025 to custodial terms ranging from 15 to 20 years’ imprisonment.

“These were not minor offences,” the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) said in a statement. “They were convictions for murder arising from one of the most chilling and egregious cases of police brutality in recent Malawian history. It is therefore shocking and deeply disturbing that barely 11 months after these convictions, these officers are reportedly walking freely on our streets.”

The statement, signed by HRDC chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa and national coordinator Kelvin Chirwa, described the decision as a profound betrayal of justice, an assault on the rule of law and a dangerous signal that “state-sponsored violence can be committed with impunity in Malawi.”

HRDC warned that the exercise of presidential pardon powers must be consistent with constitutional values, human rights protections and the interests of justice.

“Pardoning officers convicted of torturing a suspect to death sends a chilling message to victims of police brutality, to families seeking justice and to communities already traumatised by violence, including persons with albinism who continue to face grave threats in Malawi,” the statement reads. “It tells victims that their suffering is expendable. It tells perpetrators that power shields them. It tells society that justice is negotiable.”

The coalition has called on the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) to urgently verify the reports and publicly release its findings. It has also demanded immediate disclosure of the full list of pardoned prisoners, a clear explanation from the President and the Ministry of Justice on the legal and moral basis for the decision, a review of the pardon, and institutional reforms to ensure transparency in the process.

“HRDC will continue to pursue this matter vigorously and will not hesitate to mobilise all lawful means to defend the rule of law and the rights of victims,” Kaiyatsa and Chirwa said.

Meanwhile, on January 1, 2026, Secretary for Homeland Security Linda Moyo said the pardoned prisoners met the requirements outlined in the Guidelines for Granting Pardon to Convicted Prisoners, including demonstrating good behavioural reform while serving their sentences.

“Furthermore, His Excellency the State President has also granted General Amnesty to convicted prisoners serving determinate sentences as an act of clemency during this festive season,” Moyo said.

She explained that the general amnesty applies to convicted prisoners except those with repeated criminal behaviour or those convicted of offences such as murder, trafficking, manslaughter, arson, armed robbery, robbery with violence, burglary, rape, defilement, and crimes against persons with albinism and persons with disabilities.

“The general amnesty will reduce eligible sentences by nine months, leading to a 15 percent reduction in the prison population, equivalent to 2,640 inmates,” Moyo added.

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