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.
This man behaves like a mad dog! Go and tell the judges who convicted him. Secondly, don’t interfere with Zambian laws. That law has always been there and Nakachinda knew about it! You must be thanking HH for quashing it. But Nakachinda committed the crime before it was removed! To hell with your human rights. He was telling lies …..and you are a human right if lies ….useless. you support anarchy and call it human rights. Iwe!
Though this law is quashed, Nakachinda could still have found himself in prison. There are other provisions that do not allow the extent of Nakacinda nonsense. Remember, there was a journalist who was jailed for defaming the judiciary in the PF government, almost similar grounds.
It’s not just Human Rights Watch concerned about Hakainde’s dictatorial and despotic governance…
Even those western countries hiding under some veil, will just have, at one time come out and tell it all…that Hakainde has lost it. It’s just a matter of time. Hakainde will soon be a pariah of Africa..and will only remain with Tribal Praise Thugs and Tribal Zealots..
What a Malabishi government , daily arresting it’s citizens…for what? Atase.
Raphael Nakacinda uttered the words that led to him being arrested, tried, convicted and jailed. The High Court he’s seeking justice from was also injured by his words. His appeal therefore has little to no chance of succeeding. Justice was done and that’s great.
@Hallucinating Hypocrite
Please be reasonable here, where does Bally come in? Don’t just issue statements for no reason. Be fair.
Hallucinating Hypocrite p*nyo pako PF criminal. Your fellow PF idiotic Raphael Nakachinda committed.an offence iwe. Let the idiot serve the sentence.
He will rot in jail. Your bitterness will not take you anywhere. Let him go and repair his binoculars. Human rights is for everybody notably the one who is telling lies. It’s a two way thing! Where someone ‘s right ends, another one’s rights begins. The PF is used to thuggery!
Wait he will come out in October
Human watch should respect national sovereignty in their quest to achieve their objective.
Why not advocate for others that are in prison for simple offenses? Nakachinda went too far. Was the human rights operating during the PF rule? HH and many people were imprisoned for trumped up charges where was your voice. We cannot have people defaming lying about the head of state and the judiciary.
These are toothless bodies that serves no purpose at all. Why ain’t you mentioning the issue of defaming the judiciary? Where’s your impartiality and fairness? Do you understand what offence this man committed?
Who has power to quash the conviction?
These people like nakachinda, Tayali zumani sir down and decide to publish their libellous statements. Why should it become other peoples problem when they law meets them. Please think about the people they injure in their libellous statements as well
So Human Rights are above the Courts? Nakachinda is a convict. Details of his appeal and bail hearing have been reported.
What is inhumane about that? Its a Court that convicted Nakachinda.
Why do we want to report falsehoods when we have nothing to same? Nakachinda is a convict like Chitambala Mwelwa, Chishimba Kambwili. They were found guilty by the courts doing their job. There was due process and in an appeal there is due process as well
Idrissi Ali Nassah of the Human Rights Watch has got it all wrong. I hope his organisation has a local office to report accurately on the situation in Zambia. Raphael Nakacinda was given a fair trial and had legal representation chosen by he himself. He was accorded a chance to prove his allegation that HH had met some judges and agreed with them to favour the governing party candidates in election petitions before courts.
Ba Observer why do keep removing my comments yet partian hacks that make vain empty statements you dont?