**Updates IFEX alerts of 26 and 2 November, 29 October, 25 May, 30, 19 and 1 April, 26, 25, 22, 19, 18, 17, 15, 12, 11 and 10 March 1999** (MISA/IFEX) – On 25 November 1999, the Lusaka High Court dropped charges of espionage against “Post” news editor Mukalya Nampito-Mwangala. Eleven other journalists from the […]
**Updates IFEX alerts of 26 and 2 November, 29 October, 25 May, 30, 19 and 1 April, 26, 25, 22, 19, 18, 17, 15, 12, 11 and 10 March 1999**
(MISA/IFEX) – On 25 November 1999, the Lusaka High Court dropped charges of espionage against “Post” news editor Mukalya Nampito-Mwangala. Eleven other journalists from the paper, including editor-in-chief Fred M’membe, will still have to stand trial on 22 December.
Nampito-Mwangala was released following a nolle prosequi application before the High Court which maintained that the journalists had no case to answer. Nampito-Mwangala became the second journalist to be released after Amos Malupenga was discharged in April. All the accused are out on bail.
Background Information
On 1 November, the twelve journalists pleaded not guilty in the Lusaka High Court. The espionage charge against them followed a lead article in the 9 March edition of the “Post” which questioned the military capacity of Zambia to withstand an incursion from Angola. The state is claiming that the article could have been useful information for Angola or any other foreign country wanting to undermine Zambia’s security.
On the night of 9 March and the morning of 10 March, police in Lusaka rounded up six “Post” reporters after an order was issued for the police to arrest all “Post” journalists before dawn on 10 March. Police tried to arrest more journalists, but they managed to escape capture.
The six were released on 12 March following a harbeas corpus application by the newspaper. Between 17 and 31 March, police systematically called in the entire editorial staff of the newspaper and charged the journalists with espionage. Eleven journalists are now standing trial.
The other charged journalists are: Brighton Phiri, Lubasi Mwangala Katundu, Kelvin Shimo, Joe Kasapo Kaunda, Macpherson Muyumba, Douglas Hapande, Dickson Jere, Rueben Phiri, Goodson Machona and Liseli Kayumba.
