Zambian opposition leader charged with treason
Zambian opposition politician Brian Mundubile has been charged with treason following a disputed presidential election. Seventeen others, including his running mate, face the same charge.
The lawyer for Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile says his client has been charged with treason as political tensions rise in the country. Mundubile was arrested on Thursday after going into hiding following a deadly security raid.
Mundubile had challenged the results of the recent presidential election, which incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema won for a second term. Authorities accused Mundubile's NRPUP party of plotting an armed uprising, an allegation the party rejected.
On Saturday evening, lawyer Milner Katolo told Zambian Eye that his client looks forward to responding to the charge in court. He said 17 other people, including Mundubile's running mate Makebi Zulu, were also charged with treason.
Disputed vote and deadly raid
Official results from the 13 August election show Mundubile received 38% of the vote against Hichilema's 60%. The day after voting, security forces raided a property in the capital, Lusaka, linked to Mundubile, killing a former cabinet minister and arresting several other politicians.
Following the raid, Mundubile and Zulu sought refuge inside a United Nations building in the city. They were later detained after the president pressured the UN to hand them over.
The opposition was unable to mount a legal challenge to the election result because the courts were sealed off by authorities on the final day a case could be filed.
Hichilema is scheduled to be sworn in for his second term on 1 September. While regional and international observers described election day as largely peaceful, Zambia's Human Rights Commission has called for accountability over people still unaccounted for following arrests and security operations tied to the vote.
