President Lazarus Chakwera has pardoned 22 prisoners as part of the 2024 Christmas celebrations, an initiative aimed at showing clemency and decongesting the country’s prisons.
The announcement was made through a press statement issued by the Secretary for Homeland Security, Dr. Steven Kayuni, on Tuesday.
The statement explains that the President exercised his constitutional powers under Section 89(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi and Section 111 of the Prisons Act to grant these pardons.
“The Ministry of Homeland Security wishes to inform the General Public that it has pleased the State President of the Republic of Malawi, His Excellency Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, to exercise His powers as accorded to Him,” read part of the statement.
The pardons were granted to prisoners who met the criteria outlined in the Guidelines for Granting Pardons.
These include individuals who have served at least half of their sentences, the chronically ill, elderly inmates, and female prisoners accompanied by their children.
“These include convicted prisoners who have served half of their sentences, the chronically ill, the elderly, and female convicts who were accompanied by their children to prison,” the statement emphasized.
In addition to the individual pardons, President Chakwera also declared a General Amnesty, reducing sentences by six months for prisoners serving determinate sentences.
“His Excellency the President of the Republic of Malawi has also granted a General Amnesty to convicted prisoners serving determinate sentences reducing their respective sentences by six (6) months,” the statement further revealed.
This act of clemency, according to the Ministry, is a gesture of compassion during the festive season and a practical step to address overcrowding in the country’s correctional facilities.
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