Malawi holds regular elections and has undergone multiple transfers of power between political parties. Freedom of speech, expression, and association are for the most part respected, though individual violations continue to be reported. Corruption is rife, police brutality is common, and discrimination and violence toward women, members of minority groups, and people with albinism remain problems.

• In May, the state prosecutor dropped corruption charges against Vice President Saulos Chilima without explanation. Chilema had been accused of accepting funds to influence the awarding of contracts to businesses linked to Zuneth Sattar, a Malawi-born businessman residing in the United Kingdom. (Chilema died in a plane crash the following month.)
• In February, prominent journalist Gregory Gondwe went into hiding after the Malawi Defence Force threatened to arrest him for endangering state security. The threat followed his publication of an investigative report claiming that that the military paid a firm associated with Sattar millions of dollars for military equipment.
• In May, a court in Dowa District convicted a man of insulting the president in connection with comments he posted in in a WhatsApp group, handing down a punishment of a 200,000 kwacha ($115) fine or 6 months in prison. The man was charged under a section of the 2016 Electronic Transactions and Cybersecurity Act prohibiting the electronic transmission of illegal information; press freedom advocates said it was unclear what law other than the cybersecurity law rendered the content he shared illegal. He was released after being held for two weeks and paying the fine.
• In November, a Lilongwe demonstration at which opposition supporters, civil society members, and others expressed dissatisfaction with the Malawi Electoral Commission’s preparation for the 2025 polls was dispersed by masked individuals. Police posted at the event did not intervene.
• In July, the High Court of Malawi upheld the section of the Malawi Penal Code criminalizing homosexual sex. The court said the plaintiffs failed to provide evidence of how the provision was discriminatory, and suggested that they appeal to Parliament in their effort to nullify it.

This report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2025 due to ongoing budget constraints. Freedom in the World is entirely funded by nongovernmental sources such as private foundations, corporations, and individuals like you. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.

For additional background information, see last year’s full report.