HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH DEMANDS IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF RAPHAEL NAKACINDA

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH DEMANDS IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF RAPHAEL NAKACINDA

●”…Quash Raphael Nakacinda’s conviction, release him, and stop prosecuting political opponents and others under this revoked law.”

23rd May 2024

Human Rights Watch has demanded the release of Patriotic Front Secretary General, Raphael Nakacinda, jailed for defaming President Hakainde Hichilema

“Sending a leading opposition figure to prison under a law that previous administrations have notoriously used to silence critics is a blot on President Hichilema’s record,” said Idriss Ali Nassah, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch.

“The administration of President Hakainde Hichilema should quash Raphael Nakacinda’s conviction, release him, and stop prosecuting political opponents and others under this revoked law.”

“People in Zambia should be able to openly criticize the government without fear of reprisal.”

He stated that the United Nations Human Rights Committee, the independent expert body that monitors compliance with the ICCPR, states in its general comment on freedom of expression that “imprisonment is never an appropriate penalty” for defamation.

In addition, “all public figure are legitimately subject to criticism.”

Human Rights Watch investigates and reports on abuses happening in all corners of the world.Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people in 100 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice.