By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The United Nations rights chief has expressed concern over reports of arrests and detentions of opposition members in Zambia before and after the last week election, in which President Hakainde Hichilema secured a second term in office.
“I urge the authorities to stop arresting people arbitrarily and to uphold fully the due process rights of all those detained,” Volker Turk said in a statement on Wednesday.
The country’s electoral commission said on Tuesday that Hichilema secured about 60 percent of the vote in the August 13 general election, similar to his score at the 2021 polls when he won his first five-year term.
His closest rival was leader of the main opposition NRPUP party and former government minister Brian Mundubile, who scored about 38 percent.
While the election on Thursday was largely peaceful, the opposition said intimidation and restrictions marred its campaign, concerns echoed by international election observers, including the European Union.
NRPUP told reporters that Mundubile was “in a secure location under the protection of an international human rights body due to threats made against him.”
Authorities had arrested main opposition figures, accusing them of involvement in militia and insurgent activity.
“All arrests and resulting court proceedings — whatever the gravity of the alleged conduct or specific charges filed — must be fully consistent with international human rights standards, as well as Zambian domestic law,” Turk insisted in his statement.
Specifically, he said, “all detainees must be notified, at the time of their arrest, of the reasons for their arrest and promptly informed of any charges against them.”
“They must also be allowed access to legal representation, as well as communication with their families, treated humanely while in custody and brought promptly before a judge.”
The UN rights chief also insisted that all detainees had a right to “access to effective remedies for any violations of their rights.”
“At this critical post-election juncture, it is essential to uphold respect for human rights and ensure that any grievances arising from the election are voiced and addressed peacefully, and in accordance with international human rights law,” he insisted.
