The Committee to Protect Journalists says the decision by the Supreme Court is disproportional.
The Supreme Court last week sentenced Derrick Sinjela, editor-in-chief of the privately owned Rainbow Newspaper, to 18 months in prison for contempt of court.
Sinjela was convicted in September in relation to articles that accused the Supreme Court of corruption and questioned its handling of a case between two private companies.
CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal in New York said the jailing of Sinjela sends a very grave message that journalists, and Zambians in general, cannot criticize the judiciary without risking their liberty.
Ms. Quintal observed that a critical press is crucial for accountability and transparency within the judiciary.
Sinjela, who had pleaded guilty and asked for leniency, confirmed to the court yesterday that he did not have a lawyer, Haguta said.
At least two other people have been charged after criticizing the judiciary’s handling of the same case, which involved Stanbic Bank and Savenda Management Services, and one of those was sentenced to six years in prison in November.
Sinjela is currently detained at Chimbokaila prison in Lusaka.
In Zambia just like in the USA has rules and regulations which every one has to abide because no one is above the law including your useless organisation. If you want you can report the issue to our beloved Mr Trump who knows how crooked the media has become…
The issue is about proportionalnality, corruption has caused more dearths than war in case you didn’t know.
Its just ok. He was hired by savenda let savenda redeem him. What was his interest in stanbic vs savenda.
As a bank stanbic had the right to recover their MONEY
There is a need for the Media in Zambia to look united and try to do something than hiding in dark corners and only whisper in sympathy! Sinjela needs support at this crucial time. He needs his spirit lifted as he looks to 18 months of a jail sentence for a case that will one day come to haunt the judiciary!
Zambian media is full of cowards. Just ask yourself how DeadNBC operates with so many so-called degree qualified journalists doing cowardly reports and obeying every order from state house.
What is the minimum and maximum sentence for such an offence? If it this sentence is within these limits then it ok. You will be cited for contempt if you continue questioning this sentence. Like somebody put it what was his interest in the Savenda-Bank case?
ZIT DEPENDS ON WHO IS SENTENCING.
Criticise the judiciary constructively. Don’t use lies to smeer people with dirt. Media and journalists should not be tools to be used by politicians and merchants to fight each other. Media should be neutral so as to inform fairly. Sinjela should have researched and asked Savemda to take their complaint to JCC as per constitutional provision.