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1974, an abortive coup against the Ramanantsoa government took place, plunging he Malagasy Republic into a political crisis. On 25 January 1975 the government of General Ramanantsoa was dissolved, and political power was passed to the Minister of National Defence and Planning, Colonel Richard Ratsimandrava. On 11 February 1975, Colonel Ratsimandrava was assassinated.
Subsequently rebels who had been beseiged in an army camp on the outskirts of Tananarive since the December coup attempt were crushed by the armed forces, and a new military regime was established under the leadership of General Gilles Andriamahazo. In March 1975 more than 300 persons, including former President Philibert Tsiranana, were brought to trial in Tananarive on charges of complicity in the assassination of Colonel Ratsimandrava. The AI mission, originally scheduled for late 1974, is being reconsidered in the light of these latest developments.
Malawi
An Amnesty International appeal for a general amnesty on 14 May 1974 (Kamuzu Day-a national holiday) was specifically rejected by President Hastings Banda of Malawi. Nonetheless, about 40 political detainees were released on that date. Further AI initiatives were taken to encourage a general amnesty on 6 July 1974-the 10th anniversary of Malawi's independence-but no such act of clemency was granted.
During the remaining months of 1974 AI heard of the release of a number of prisoners, but the general human rights situation in Malawi continued to deteriorate. In a speech made during September 1974, Dr Banda confirmed that a number of individuals had been executed for political crimes of violence. More people were detained, adding to the more than one thousand persons who are now held without trial at various prisons and detention centers in Malawi: specifically Mikuyu Detention Center near Zomba, Zomba and Lilongwe Prisons, and Chichiri Remand Prison, Blantyre.
Prison conditions in the main detention center at Mikuyu are reportedly very bad, with inadequate diet, medical attention and facilities for exercise. During the year AI received unconfirmed reports of the deaths in detention of 10 prisoners. It also received eye-witness accounts of the poor prison conditions from released European detainees who have reached Europe.
Mali
Amnesty International groups continued their adoption work for 38 prisoners detained without trial since the overthrow of Mali's last civilian government by a military coup in November 1968. In August 1974, AI adopted 14 other persons who had been arrested two months earlier for circulating a pamphlet in Bamako, the Malien capital, criticizing a constitutional referendum which had been organized by the ruling Conseil Militaire de Libération National (CMLN). In April 1975, these prisoners were brought to trial in Bamako and received prison terms.
In November 1974, AI launched a concerted campaign for a general amnesty for all political prisoners in Mali, focused on the sixth anniversary of the accession to power of the CMLN. One month after the campaign, President Moussa Traoré announced that 1975 would be a year of national reconciliation, which would see
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