Lawyer who spent more than 1 year in Swazi prison vows to press for rights in African kingdom

JOHANNESBURG _ A critic of the government in Swaziland who was released from prison this week says he will continue to campaign for human rights.

Lawyer Thulani Maseko told The Associated Press in a telephone interview on Thursday that Swaziland’s judicial system needs reforms and that “the rule of law is the only way to go.”

Maseko and Bheki Makhubu, editor of Swaziland’s The Nation magazine, had spent more than one year in prison after being found guilty of contempt of court for publishing articles lamenting alleged threats to judicial independence in Swaziland. They were released on Tuesday after successfully appealing their convictions.

King Mswati III rules the southern African nation. Critics say the Swazi government sharply curtails basic rights

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