UN calls on Zambia to stop arbitrary arrests of opposition figures

The United Nations rights chief voiced concern Wednesday at reports of arrests and detentions of opposition members in Zambia before and after last week's election, which handed President Hakainde Hichilema a second term.

"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.

The country's electoral commission said on Tuesday that Hichilema took around 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 challenger was leader of the main opposition NRPUP party and former government minister Brian Mundubile, who scored around 38 percent.

While Thursday's vote was largely peaceful, the opposition said intimidation and restrictions marred its campaign, concerns echoed by international election observers, including the European Union.

And the NRPUP told AFP that Mundubile was "in a secure location under the protection of an international human rights body due to threats made against him."

Police were still holding several figures from the main opposition alliance, arrested last week on rejected allegations of involvement in militia or 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.

Hichilema entered the race as the clear favourite after steering Zambia through a major economic turnaround and restructuring its debt.

But his first term was also marked by concerns over Zambia's political space, with opposition parties and civil society groups accusing his government of curbing dissent.

Hichilema is due to be sworn in within seven days of the commission publishing the official results, due by August 24, but a planned challenge by the opposition could delay the process.