Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Adjournment of HH’s treason case is “persecution through prosecution”-Amnesty International

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UPND supporters in South Africa protesting this morning
UPND supporters in South Africa protesting this morning

Amnesty International has said that the Adjournment of opposition leader’s treason case is “persecution through prosecution”

In response to the Lusaka Magistrate Court’s decision to adjourn the case of United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema and five of his employees until 12 June, Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for Southern Africa said:

“Hakainde Hichilema and his five employees are currently undergoing persecution through prosecution and the charge against them must be dropped. Their arrest and detention is part of a cynical ploy to silence all political opposition in Zambia.

“This treason charge is designed to intimidate Hichilema and stop him and others in the opposition from taking part in public affairs. The Zambian authorities must stop misusing the criminal justice system to target and harass the political opposition.”

Hakainde Hichilema is the president of the main opposition political party, the United Party for National Development (UPND) in Zambia.

The six were arrested on 11 April after they allegedly failed to give way to a Presidential convoy in Mongu district. They claim they were beaten, teargassed and pepper sprayed on their genitals by the police.

Hichilema was initially charged with treason, “disobeying lawful orders” and using insulting language towards the police after a confrontation with a convoy carrying President Edgar Lungu.

The Lusaka magistrate court later dropped all charges except treason.

17 COMMENTS

  1. Shut up you agents of evil powers.

    How else should it be handled, isn’t fair to commit him to high court so that he can be tried fairly? Are you insinuating that the courts must just drop cases without following the due process? Who do you represent, do we need your comments?

    Let the courts determine this case freely.

  2. what goes around comes around,lungu and his minions will be subjected to the same jungle laws in time and will see who will speak for them since anyone who speaks against them is deemed ignorant or worse a colonialist.

    • What goes around has come around on hh who stole from the zambians and send thousands to their early graves with his fellow thives ftj and group. Its time for him to cry.

    • @HH OVAL HEAD,
      HH Stole? Please enlighten us, what did he steal? Do you know that withholding such vital information from Police is a serious offence, just as libel and slander are serious offences? So, you have something which late President Sata failed to find and prove in spite of his determination?
      In this day and age, do you seriously think you can hide behind your pseudo name from prosecution? Do you even know what an IP address on each computer actually does? How dull and careless can you get?

  3. So imwe ba Patriot your agenda is to have Lungu punished. By the it’s not the court that’s delaying the case it’s your lawyers who have brought in technicalities and the court can do nothing about it. Has Amnesty International ever condemned the USA over the killing of unarmed dozens of black Americans?

    • God forbid they are not cursed………..Do not always try to provoke others so that you hear what they will say

  4. Adjournment in itself is a lawful action of the court. To those in a hurry to come out of jail, adjournment is not good. To those concerned with evidence and procedure it is correct to adjourn in order to conclude the case properly. If you rush it, then you will crush it. It is now a matter of guilty or not guilty. After tha, then appeals are also lawful actions for the dissatisfied party.

  5. Bane , muleke ifyakulandalanda fikamuletelela. Do not talk about matters you do not understand very well. In any case the matters are in the court for determination.You only get worried when justice is delayed.

  6. I had some respect for Amnesty International but now I have serious doubts. You mean this statement was issued by a DIRECTOR of Amnesty? Don’t they do research before opening their mouths let alone writing it down? Surely they would know that HH has been committed to High court for trial of his treason case AND that the case is still in the Magistrates court for preliminaries raised by HH’s own defence? Vincent Malambo SC, please advise these Amnesia donkeys.

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