Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Malawi are expressing significant concern regarding the recent presidential pardon of Yunhua Lin, a Chinese national who was convicted of multiple wildlife trafficking offenses.
In 2021, Lin received a 14-year prison sentence for possessing and trafficking pangolin scales, elephant ivory, hippo teeth, and rhino horn. However, reports indicate that President Lazarus Chakwera has pardoned Lin.
This pardon, granted through a process that lacked transparency, has ignited controversy and fueled suspicions about the decision-making involved. The CSOs are demanding greater openness and accountability in the pardon process, especially when dealing with serious crimes such as wildlife violations.
They contend that pardoning individuals convicted of wildlife crimes undermines Malawi’s wildlife conservation efforts, weakens the enforcement of its environmental laws, and harms the country’s international standing.
According to their statement, “Wildlife crimes are not minor offenses; they are serious, often transnational crimes that pose a threat to biodiversity, national security, and crucial economic sectors outlined in the Malawi Vision 2063, including agriculture, tourism, and mining.”
The statement further emphasizes, “Treating these crimes with leniency not only undermines the enforcement of the National Parks and Wildlife Act, which stipulates penalties of up to 30 years in prison, but also violates Malawi’s obligations as a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).”
The CSOs are urgently calling on President Chakwera to address these concerns immediately, asserting that such actions risk damaging Malawi’s international reputation and weakening the global fight against wildlife trafficking.
“Pardoning individuals convicted of wildlife crimes establishes a dangerous precedent, risks the erosion of environmental rule of law, and undermines public and donor trust in justice and conservation systems,” the CSOs added.
Specifically, they are urging the President to:
- Exclude wildlife crimes from all future presidential pardons.
- Operationalize a task force dedicated to enforcing environmental laws.
- Ensure complete transparency in the pardon process.
- Consider reversing the pardon granted to Lin.
Furthermore, they are urging the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to pursue all pending charges against Lin without interference, ensuring that due process is followed and justice is not compromised.
The CSOs involved in this statement include: Coordination Union for Rehabilitation of the Environment (CURE), Movement for Environmental Action, Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy (CEPA), Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM), Youth and Society (YA), The Association of Environmental Journalists in Malawi (AEJ), National Youth Network on Climate Change (NYNCC), and Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC).