Zambian Opposition Leader Charged with Treason Amid Political Tensions

Brian Mundubile, a Zambian opposition leader, has been charged with treason, according to his lawyer, amid rising political tensions in the country.

Mundubile was arrested on Thursday following a violent raid by security forces that forced the opposition politician into hiding.

He had contested the results of the recent presidential election, which resulted in incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema securing a second term.

Authorities accused Mundubile’s NRPUP party of planning an armed insurgency, a claim the party denied.

On Saturday night, Mundubile’s lawyer, Milner Katolo, announced that his client had been charged with treason. Katolo said the opposition leader intends to confront the accusation in court, as reported by the Zambian Eye, external.

The lawyer added that 17 other individuals, including Mundubile’s running mate Makebi Zulu, were also charged with treason.

Official results show that Mundubile received 38% of the vote in the 13 August election, while President Hichilema secured 60%.

The day after the vote, security forces raided a property in Lusaka linked to Mundubile, killing a former cabinet minister and arresting several other politicians.

The government said weapons were seized during the raid.

After the raid, Mundubile and Zulu sought refuge at a United Nations building in the city; they were subsequently detained after the president pressured the UN to surrender them.

The opposition could not file a legal challenge to the election outcome, as the courts were sealed off by authorities on Monday, the last day for filing such a case.

Hichilema is scheduled to be sworn in for a second term on 1 September.

Regional and international observers described the election day as largely peaceful, whereas Zambia’s Human Rights Commission has urged accountability for individuals whose whereabouts remain unknown after arrests and security operations surrounding the elections.

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