The Maravi Post

FREE KASAMBARA! Civil Society suspends talks with govt., OSISA condems arrest

Created on Friday, 17 February 2012 14:17 Written by ABEL WEZZI

LILONGWE--A return to July 20? Malawi Civil Society (CSO) has pulled out of talks aimed at addressing the 20-point petition they presented to government after last year's national protests, citing the arrest of human rights lawyer Ralph Kasambara this week as the major reason.  

CSO dialogue team members Voice Mhone, Steve Duwa, Dorothy Ngoma and a Mr. Mtonga said on Friday the environment which both parties had agreed to make sure existed in the country had changed.

"We're protesting the environment. This time we will not go back until Ralph Kasambara is unconditionally released. We can't continue to engage a government that isn't interested at all," said Voice Mhone, leader of the team.

Ngoma said they had walked out of talks after they presented their concerns to the government team and the facilitating team from the United Nations.

It was time the government walked the talk, Duwa added.

The group says they expect all the issues covered in the petition to be solved by March 28, 2012 saying after which Malawians will decide the future of the country.

Meanwhile, the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) and the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) have joined the voices that have condemned the “persecution” Kasambara, and expressed “alarm at the country’s continuing slide away from established principles of democracy and rule of law.”  

In a joint statement, the organisations said “Kasambara is still behind bars four days after being arrested and charged with assault for intercepting a group of people suspected of attempting to firebomb his offices.

“By law, Kasambara should be held in remand, rather than in a prison. Lawyers acting for Kasambara, Wapona Kita and Jonathan Kara, have been summoned to appear before the Anti-Corruption Bureau - as has the Magistrate who ordered Kasambara's release on bail.
 
“The attempted attack on Kasambara’s law practice, the continuing disregard for his right to fair trial and due process, and the intimidation of those associated with his case, illustrate the current government’s resolve to undermine the rule of law, violate basic freedoms and silence those who voice dissent.

“Of particular concern is the fact that the police appear to have been given carte blanche powers to deal with critics.  Those who were suspected of planning to attack Kasmabara's office have not been apprehended.

“SALC and OSISA call on the government to ensure that Ralph Kasambara is fully afforded his rights to due process and fair trial. We further call on the government of Malawi to rein in the increasingly powerful police, and bring those who firebomb the offices of lawyers and human rights defenders to book.”
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©2012 The Maravi Post. Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgment

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