Candidates running in Zambia’s general elections on 13 August must commit to reversing a growing pattern of authoritarian practices that threaten human rights before, during and after the polls, Amnesty International said today.
In a new briefing,
Authoritarian Practices Eating Away at Human Rights in Zambia: Escalating crackdown on human rights ahead of the 2026 general elections
, Amnesty International documents how the authorities have intensified their crackdown on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, association, expression and media freedom through broadly vague and hurriedly passed laws, curtailing participation ahead the August 2026 general elections.
“In 2021, Zambians voted in the hope for change following promises to respect human rights. Instead, authorities have resorted to the familiar playbook of using the law to criminalize peaceful dissent and silence independent media,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa.
In 2021, Zambians voted in the hope for change following promises to respect human rights. Instead, authorities have resorted to the familiar playbook of using the law to criminalize peaceful dissent and silence independent media.
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa
The briefing notes that despite some reforms including the repeal of the offence of criminal defamation of the president; the abolition of the death penalty; and the enactment of the Access to Information Act, there is a growing pattern of misuse of laws and the criminal justice system to suppress peaceful dissent and entrench political power.
“These laws have not only been used as the key tools for restricting dissent but also unleashing the punitive power of the state. The result is weaker accountability for human rights violations, erosion of the rule of law, and increasing barriers to access information,” said Tigere Chagutah.
In May 2026 Amnesty In
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