Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Prosecute Torture Officers at ICC, Demands ZCLU

Share

The Zambian Civil Liberties Union (ZCLU) has called on the Zambian Police Service Command to provide an explanation regarding the death of a suspect, Maxwell Mwila, in police custody last Saturday. Additionally, the government has been urged to support independent measures for prosecuting officers involved in torture at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In a statement released by Maurice Makalu, the Deputy Executive Director of ZCLU, the organization emphasized that cases of torture are severe crimes against humanity and can be prosecuted at the ICC. ZCLU stated their intention to compile a list of officers involved in torture, gather evidence, and submit the torture dockets to the ICC, which has universal jurisdiction to hold perpetrators of torture accountable.

Mr. Makalu highlighted that the reported cases of torture suggest the possibility of more instances of torture against ordinary suspects that remain undisclosed or ignored due to their lack of prominence or political affiliations.

Meanwhile, ZCLU is currently gathering information on Maxwell Mwila, the suspect who died at Matero Police Station last Saturday. According to sources, Mwila was initially interrogated at Lusaka Central Police Station before being transferred to Matero Police Station, where he ultimately passed away.

Lusaka Central Police Station and Lilayi have gained notoriety for alleged torture of suspects.

Mr. Makalu urged the police to issue a statement clarifying the circumstances surrounding Mr. Mwila’s death in detention.

The recent release of the “USA 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Zambia” by the US State Department exposed arbitrary killings, torture, and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of suspects by law enforcement agencies.

Expressing disappointment over the lack of compliance with President Hichilema’s directive for law enforcement agencies to respect human rights, the ZCLU Deputy Chief advised the police against combating alleged crimes through criminal tactics themselves.

13 COMMENTS

  1. We warned you against voting for a Dictator. Look at the kind of people that are being killed now, firstly on a monthly basis now on a weekly basis. People are being tortured and all we will be told is to remain calm while investigations are going on. We are in a country with one command center that is sending the police to kill people with certain names.

    4
    2
  2. Torture is a human rights violation. Go ahead and file a complaint to ICC. Also monitor Kaiser Zulu Mfumu ya Mpuno a.k.a. Broken Hill Man who is the worst violator of freedom of expression. Report him to ICC as well. So they can throw him in the ICC zoo to mingle with other apes. That will teach him for calling humans ugly and insulting the president. Let sleeping dogs lie.

    5
    3
  3. ICC doesnt deal in such minor cases,
    what makes you think that
    Get a life and deal with it internal

    1
    4
  4. The UPND is a party of maniacal zealots. They fought the MMD and killed some of their members. They fought the PF and killed some of their members. They’ve now taken it further to mistreating and killing people of a certain region. One day they’ll answer for these crimes, not matter how long it takes. Let them enjoy themselves but it’s said that it’s life in the marrow where it’s sweetest

    3
    3
  5. CAN EVERYONE READ KCIs COMMENT ABOVE. THAT IS THE GOSPEL TRUTH. WE DID WARN THEM VOTING IN THIS EVlL man hh. Zambia is a banana Republic. Meanwhile hh thinks zambia is now in champions league. A clear sign that he is a psychopath who forms lies in his own head

  6. Bally is so much of an attention seeker.

    Am sure when he was pa UNZA he’s one of those benzeli kuika tunsimbi kunsi kwansapato so that when he walks, he makes a “kho kho kho” sound, and everyone turns to see who’s walking by.

    Mambala!!

  7. Does this guy know why the International Criminal Court (ICC) was established? Is this a joke?
    Or is it another attempt to attack this government on so-called human rights?

    1
    1
    • @Kaizar Zulu Mfumu ya Mpuno a.k.a. Broken Hill Man. The primate with the lowest IQ on this forum has to unleash his skunk smell via his mpuno. He has no clue what the article is all about. His target is HH the man who haunts him in the zoo. Look at his ugly face. Google the Broken Hill Man. How does me manage to call others ugly? Let sleeping dogs lie.

  8. I have always wanted to know what exactly goes into the mind of the people who accept to torture other human beings. How enjoyable do they find the cruel acts. Are they men turned machines without feeling?

  9. Abductions and kidnappings that happened in Chalala on 13 young women caused outcry in Zambia.
    Recently, we had same vice on political commentators. While I take note of rampant alleged tourture and abductions that need urgent redress, the summons to ICC are misplaced. There are local and international bodies, like UNCAT Convention Against Torture, Human Rights Commission that are best suited for such.

    1
    1
  10. Torture is punishable at the ICC. Let’s go this route. No one should be allowed to kill or take away the life

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading