Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard has urged President Hakainde Hichilema to move with speed to honour his promise on human rights during his tenure, including by repealing oppressive legislation such as the Public Order Act that has been used by successive administrations to curtail human rights, she said today as she concluded her visit to the country.
The Secretary General met with President Hichilema at State House in Lusaka last week during her three-nation high level mission to Africa, after being in Kenya and proceeding to South Africa where she will launch the organization’s global assessment of the state of human rights on 28 March.
“During the previous administration, we have seen Zambia’s human rights situation deteriorates drastically, most notably with authorities using vague and wide-ranging tactics to muzzle independent and critical voices,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
“President Hichilema must show leadership and keep his human rights pledges by turning the tide against oppression and human rights violations that Amnesty and others have documented in the past few years. This starts with implementing Zambia’s human rights obligations and ensuring respect for the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association and taking decisive and effective action to end abuses and impunity for past violations by police.”
The rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly had come under increasing attack in Zambia, particularly over the past five years, with opposition leaders and activists jailed for either exercising their right to freedom of peaceful assembly or association.
Police regularly used the overly broad and vague provisions of the Public Order Act and the Penal Code to clamp down on rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, especially protests against allegations of government corruption and attack on the rule of law.
Under former President Edgar Lungu’s administration, authorities weaponized the law to criminalize peaceful dissent, charging critics with a wide range of offences including criminal defamation, incitement of public disorder and sedition.
For example, on 9 March 2020, police arrested a 15-year-old boy in Kapiri Mposhi, and charged him with three counts of criminal libel after he allegedly criticized President Lungu on Facebook.
Authorities must repeal the repressive legislation, especially the Public Order Act, and the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act that have been used to suppress human rights, including freedom of peaceful assembly, association and expression.
“Time is of essence. President Hichilema must move with speed with the renewed leadership to reverse the human rights downward spiral that we have witnessed in the past 10 years.” said Agnès Callamard.
“President Hichilema should put forward a clear roadmap to deal with the past human rights and offer a new start.”
At least five people have been killed by the police since 2016 during peaceful gatherings or protests.
The Police have regularly used excessive force to break up peaceful assemblies.
On 22 December 2020, police officers shot dead two unarmed people at a gathering of opposition supporters.
Several people had assembled to show their solidarity with president Haikainde Hichilema — who was the leader of the main opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) at the time — after he was summoned for questioning at the police headquarters in Lusaka.
State prosecutor Nsama Nsama, who was not part of the gathering, was shot dead while buying a meal at a nearby restaurant, while Joseph Kaunda, a UPND supporter, was shot by police as they dispersed the crowd.
In October 2018, Vesper Shimuzhila, a student at the University of Zambia, died after police threw a tear gas canister into her room as they violently dispersed a student protest.
The government must undertake prompt, thorough, impartial, independent, effective and transparent investigations into all cases of unlawful killings, including by security forces. Suspected perpetrators must be brought to justice in fair trials.
Authorities must ensure access of victims to justice and effective remedies.
The authorities must also abolish the death penalty, which is a violation of the right to life, and stop the use of torture by the police.
Amnesty International is also calling for President Hichilema to take effective action to place socio-economic rights firmly on his agenda, including tackling inequality, poverty and unemployment.
He must also boost healthcare systems to aid the country’s recovery from Covid-19.
Amnesty International commends the abolition of fees for public schools since the beginning of 2022, which will help ensure that no child is excluded from education due to a lack of funds.
“Tackling not only the impunity of the police for past human rights abuses but also inequality and poverty today are crucial steps the government must take in order to rebuild the country for a more just and equal future,” said Agnès Callamard.
“President Hichilema has just started to write his own legacy as President of Zambia. The world is watching. He will be judged, in particular, by the extent to which he keeps his promise on human rights.”
“……..including tackling inequality, poverty and unemployment…….”
AI, you have just watered down your demand on human rights………..
The president is doing all that you have mentioned
Madam this is Africa where human rights are just on the lips.
Congtratulations Amnesty for your enngagement with our committed leadet, i hope you will reopen the Zambia office
hope Amnesty-International (A I ) is aware president H. Hichilema was arrested 15 times and charged with treason whose penalty was death in Zambia. Let A I remind Zambia what they did and how they compelled the PF regime to adhere to human rights. A I may just be an example of hypocrites when
in the face of harassment, threats to life and death itself have not reacted as they do now.
Hichilema’s own human rights were violeted by Lungu many times especially that fake treason charges at Mukobeko.It took an int’l outcry for Lungu to drop the charges.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Commission supported Abu Hamza al-Masri the famous hate preacher a while back in the UK until he was finally extradited to the US where he is serving a life sentence for supporting terrorism. So am not sure why people are getting so excited about AI. These people will support people that will kill you in your sleep and there you are clapping for them. SMH
kkkkkkkk, when whites insists on the fulfillment of human rights its not a joke , we have to look into it with an eye of the eagle ,
this so called human rights involves a lot of things .they have got their own agenda behind that ,but all in all who are we stop the word of GOD to be fulfilled?
Madam don’t waste your time. It was a campaign strategy. Its almost 1 year now since the supposedly messiah took office. Its appointment after appointment, travelling and photo shows whilst prices are getting higher and higher. The calculator for cheap fuel has gone missing, $50m single sourcing fertilizer etc