Sittings · Document
On post-electoral repression in Zambia and the killing of Mutotwe Kafwaya
on behalf of the Renew Group · Rapporteur: JanChristoph Oetjen, Karin Karlsbro, Malik Azmani, Svenja Hahn, Ľubica Karvašová, Engin Eroglu, Hilde Vautmans, MarieAgnes StrackZimmermann, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, Lucia Yar, Dan Barna, Urmas Paet, Michal Wiezik, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Helmut Brandstätter, Anna Stürgkh, Petras Auštrevičius, Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová
Parliament's resolution on post-electoral repression in Zambia and the killing of Mutotwe Kafwaya condemns the killing and demands an independent investigation holding those with command responsibility accountable.¶¶ It urges Zambia to stop the post-electoral crackdown, end arbitrary arrests of opposition politicians and stop misusing criminal justice and national security laws to silence opponents.¶ It reminds the government of its international human rights obligations and reaffirms freedom of expression, assembly, association and judicial independence.¶¶ It calls on all political actors to show restraint and back national reconciliation, and on the EEAS and the EU Delegation to Zambia to monitor the situation and raise the violations in bilateral dialogues.¶¶
Key points
- Parliament strongly condemns the killing of Mutotwe Kafwaya.¶
- It calls on Zambian authorities to hold a prompt, thorough, independent, impartial, transparent and effective investigation into the shooting and killing, including the use of lethal force, and to hold accountable those at all levels with command responsibility.¶
- It urges Zambian authorities to immediately cease the post-electoral crackdown and end arbitrary arrests and detention of opposition politicians.¶
- It urges them to ensure criminal justice and national security laws are not misused to intimidate, punish or silence political opponents or others peacefully exercising their human rights.¶
- It reminds the Government of Zambia of its international obligations to respect human rights, democratic principles and the right to a fair legal process.¶
- It reaffirms the importance of protecting freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and the independence of the judiciary and other democratic institutions.¶
- It calls on all political actors to exercise restraint, reject violence and intimidation and contribute to national reconciliation.¶
- It calls on the European External Action Service and the EU Delegation to Zambia to closely monitor the human rights situation, support local human rights defenders and raise these violations in all bilateral dialogues.¶
Who is affected
- Zambian authorities, who are asked to investigate the killing, stop the crackdown and respect international obligations.¶¶¶
- Opposition politicians and government critics in Zambia, whose arrests, detentions and passport cancellations the resolution addresses.¶¶¶
- All political actors in Zambia, called on to exercise restraint and contribute to national reconciliation.¶
- The EEAS and the EU Delegation to Zambia, asked to monitor the human rights situation and raise violations in bilateral dialogues.¶
Figures and deadlines
- 13th August 2026: date of the general elections after which repression surged.¶
- 14 August 2026: date of the raid during which Mutotwe Kafwaya was shot and killed.¶
- five days: period for which state authorities withheld information on Kafwaya's condition and whereabouts.¶
- 27 August 2026: date Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu surrendered to the authorities.¶
- 16 others: number arrested during the raid and charged with treason alongside Mundubile and Zulu.¶
- six prominent opposition figures or government critics: number whose passports were cancelled on national security grounds.¶
- 43 people: number detained for 21 days without charge until the High Court ordered their release.¶
Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text and ¶ links to the paragraph it rests on. Check the text itself before relying on it.