Zambia: UN expert raises alarm over opposition crackdown after presidential election
Following President Hakainde Hichilema’s re-election, Zambian opposition officials have been arrested. UN Special Rapporteur Gina Romero is calling for an immediate end to the criminalisation of political dissent.
United Nations Special Rapporteur Gina Romero has called on Zambian authorities to immediately end the criminalisation of political dissent, amid arrests targeting several opposition figures following the re-election of outgoing President Hakainde Hichilema.
Those arrested include Brian Mundubile, described as the runner-up in the presidential election. He received 38% of the vote, according to information reported by Le Monde.
Warning issued after presidential re-election
The UN expert’s intervention comes after the vote that returned Hakainde Hichilema to the presidency. It concerns the treatment of opponents in the period following the election.
Gina Romero’s call puts political freedoms and the expression of dissent at the centre of concerns over the situation in Zambia.
Join the conversation
Reader comments are shown in their original language.