Malawi opposition leaders convicted of sedition, inciting violence while on campaign trail

Malawi opposition leaders convicted of sedition

BLANTYRE, Malawi — Lawyers say two Malawian opposition leaders have been convicted of sedition and inciting violence while campaigning.

Lawyers said Tuesday that a judge had convicted the two on Monday and sentenced each to 20 months in prison with hard labor.

Defense lawyer Bob Chimkango says he will appeal the first sedition convictions since the late dictator Hastings Kamuzu Banda’s 1963-1994 rule.

Hophmally Makande was convicted for saying at a March rally that his party would take the law into its own hands after term limits kept the party’s leader from running again.

Kamlepo Kalua, who belongs to a smaller opposition party, also was convicted over comments made at the same rally.

President Bingu wa Mutharika was re-elected by a landslide in May.