During last Thursday’s nationwide demonstrations, as the  Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) was covering its evening news bulletin radio station, the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) was described in Chichewa as ‘bungwe lazawuchifwamba’.

The alleged broadcast has therefore labeled HRDC as a terrorist organization, according to Lawyer for HRDC, Wesley Mwafulirwa, who also said the letter of claim, dated January 17 2020, demands a public apology by the public broadcaster.

Part of the letter emphasizes that if the above demands are not met and if MBC does not respond before January 27 2020, legal action will be taken.

The nationwide demonstrations were aimed at calling on authorities do something on reports that police officers sexually abused women and girls in Msundwe, Lilongwe following violent anti-Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah protests in which a police officer was killed. The demonstrations by HRDC have seen property damaged, stolen and lives lost. President Peter Mutharika also called out HRDC for the violence, but Mwafulira stressed that to be called a terrorist group was uncalled for.