Zambia Faces Human Rights Crisis Ahead Of August Elections - Watchdog

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th June, 2021) A new report by a prominent international watchdog showed that the human rights such as freedom of expression and peaceful assembly have been consistently violated in Zambian over the past five years while killings and brutal repression of the dissent set the tone for the August elections.

"What we have seen in Zambia, especially in the past five years, is an increasingly brutal crackdown on human rights, characterized by brazen attacks on any form of dissent," Amnesty International Director for East and Southern Africa Deprose Muchena said.

Opposition leaders, activists and journalists have been targeted for speaking out and making allegation about government corruption or abuse of power became extremely dangerous, Muchena added.

Protesters have been silenced, intimidated and harassed and at least five people were killed by police since 2016.

"Zambian authorities must commit to respecting, protecting, promoting and ensuring full respect for human rights before, during and after the 12 August election. The government must also end impunity for past human rights violations," Muchena said.

Over the last five years two important media outlets have been shut down by the government, opposition leaders have faced retaliation for criticizing the government and current president Edgar Lungu who has been ruling the country since 2015. Under his rule, the human rights situation in the country has seriously deteriorated.

Lungu's party, the Patriotic Front (PF) seeks re-election in the upcoming elections.

Amnesty International has called on Zambia's authorities to immediately end all violations on human rights.