Human rights in Zambia

Human rights in Zambia are addressed in the constitution. However, the Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Zambia for 2012 by the United States Department of State noted that in general, the government's human rights record remained poor.

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Serious abuses

The Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Zambia for 2012 noted the following serious human rights abuses:[1]

  • abuses by security forces, including unlawful killings, torture, and beatings;
  • life-threatening prison conditions;
  • restrictions on freedom of speech, assembly, and association;media freedom, noting levels of intolerance and harassment of journalists had increased in the year 2016 and suspensions of Itezhi-Tezhi radio station and MuviTV .[2]
  • arbitrary arrest and prolonged pretrial detention;
  • arbitrary interference with privacy;
  • government corruption;
  • violence and discrimination against women, child abuse, and trafficking in persons;
  • discrimination against persons with disabilities and based on sexual orientation;
  • restrictions on labor rights, forced labor, and child labor; and
  • that the government generally did not take steps to prosecute or punish officials who committed abuses, allowing impunity to remain a problem.
  • unlawful arrests and application of wrong charges on wrong cases .Eg the treason case of Hakainde Hichilema in 2017.
  • Public Access to Information: The law does not provide for public access to government information.
  • Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government.
  • Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence.

Freedom in the World ratings

The following are Zambia's ratings since 1972 in the Freedom in the World reports, published annually by Freedom House (1 is best, 7 is worst).[3]

Year Political Rights Civil Liberties Status President1
1972 5 5 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1973 5 5 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1974 5 4 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1975 5 5 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1976 5 5 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1977 5 5 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1978 5 5 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1979 5 5 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1980 5 5 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1981 5 6 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1982 5 6 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1983 5 6 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1984 5 5 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1985 5 5 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1986 5 5 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1987 5 5 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1988 6 5 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1989 6 5 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1990 6 5 Partly Free Kenneth Kaunda
1991 2 3 Free Kenneth Kaunda
1992 2 3 Free Frederick Chiluba
1993 3 4 Partly Free Frederick Chiluba
1994 3 4 Partly Free Frederick Chiluba
1995 3 4 Partly Free Frederick Chiluba
1996 5 4 Partly Free Frederick Chiluba
1997 5 4 Partly Free Frederick Chiluba
1998 5 4 Partly Free Frederick Chiluba
1999 5 4 Partly Free Frederick Chiluba
2000 5 4 Partly Free Frederick Chiluba
2001 5 4 Partly Free Frederick Chiluba
2002 4 4 Partly Free Frederick Chiluba
2003 4 4 Partly Free Levy Mwanawasa
2004 4 4 Partly Free Levy Mwanawasa
2005 4 4 Partly Free Levy Mwanawasa
2006 3 4 Partly Free Levy Mwanawasa
2007 3 4 Partly Free Levy Mwanawasa
2008 3 3 Partly Free Levy Mwanawasa
2009 3 4 Partly Free Rupiah Banda
2010 3 4 Partly Free Rupiah Banda
2011 3 4 Partly Free Rupiah Banda
2012[4] 3 4 Partly Free Michael Sata

Freedom of the press
Main article: Press freedom in Zambia

Freedoms of expression and of the press are constitutionally guaranteed in Zambia, but the government frequently restricts these rights in practice.[5] Although the ruling Patriotic Front has pledged to free state-owned media—consisting of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) and the widely circulated Zambia Daily Mail and Times of Zambia—from government editorial control, these outlets have generally continued to report along pro-government lines. Many journalists reportedly practice self-censorship since most government newspapers do have prepublication review.[5] The ZNBC dominates the broadcast media, though several private stations have the capacity to reach large portions of the population.

The rights group Freedom House, which publishes annual country reports on press freedom status, has ranked Zambia’s press as “Not Free” even in 2016.[6]

See also

Notes
1.^ As of January 1.

References
  1. "Zambia", Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State, 22 March 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  2. "muvi tv". muvi television.
  3. "Country ratings and status, Freedom in the World 1973-2012" (XLS). Freedom House. 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  4. "Zambia", Freedom in the World 2013, Freedom House. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  5. "Press Freedom survey on 186 countries". www.worldaudit.org. Retrieved 2017-01-13.
  6. "Zambia | Country report | Freedom of the Press | 2016". freedomhouse.org. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
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