Rafiq Hajat
Rafiq Hajat was the Director of the Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI) and was one of the leading human rights defenders in Malawi where the Government sought to repress protests and silence all critical voices in 2010-2011. On 3 September 2011, at 1 am approximately, a petrol bomb was thrown through the window of the IPI office in the Chichiri area of Blantyre, following which the front room of the building caught fire resulting in extensive damage. Rafiq Hajat was publicly accused by former President Bingu wa Mutharika of being an enemy of the state and was forced to go into hiding. However, in spite of the threats against him he continued to speak out about human rights violations in Malawi.