By Rahim Abdul
A woman who spent two months in custody with her infant child after being arrested over the unrest in Chikwawa has been released by the High Court in Blantyre after the State admitted she had been wrongly arrested.
The woman’s lawyer, Vitumbiko Phiri, said Judge Etness Chanza ordered her release after the prosecution conceded that the police had arrested the wrong person.
Phiri said he is now considering whether to pursue legal action seeking compensation for his client over what he described as her wrongful arrest and detention.
He said the woman spent two months at Chichiri Prison together with her young child, who remained with her throughout the period of detention.
According to Phiri, the prolonged detention caused significant hardship for both the mother and her infant, raising concerns over the treatment they received while in custody.
Chairperson of the Malawi Human Rights Commission, Chikondi Chijozi, has urged the police to conduct thorough investigations before making arrests.
Chijozi said the woman’s rights, as well as those of her child, were seriously violated, noting that the child was reportedly without clothing at the time of the arrest.
The arrests followed violence that erupted in Chikwawa two months ago after false rumours circulated about the alleged harvesting of private body parts, sparking panic and mob attacks.
Police had earlier disclosed that of the 98 people arrested during the operation, 27 were charged with murder while 25 faced charges of spreading false information.
Police also said six suspects were turned into State witnesses, four were charged with inciting violence, while 36 people were released after investigator sure found no evidence linking them to any offence.
