Zambia’s opposition leader arrested and held in solitary confinement
Lusaka — Zambian prosecutors have accused the main opposition leader, Hakainde Hichilema, of plotting to overthrow the government, according to charges read out in the magistrates court in Lusaka. Prosecutors allege that the leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND) and others planned to oust President Edgar Lungu’s administration sometime between October 2016 and April 12, magistrate Greenwell Malumani told the court. Last week, the opposition party called the charges against Hichilema "trumped up". "They are no more than political prisoners," Hichilema’s lawyer, Vincent Malambo, told the court, adding that Hichilema is being held in solitary confinement. Police detained Hichilema on April 12 after a night raid on his home, when they fired tear gas and broke down doors. The move marked a high point in tensions between the UPND and the ruling Patriotic Front since elections last year, which Hichilema called fraudulent and sought to challenge in the constitutional co...
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