THE United Nations Human Rights Council Special Procedures has demanded that Zambia halts, with immediate effect, the “downward spiral of infringements on fundamental freedoms”. Independent experts, working as Special Rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council, following their fact-finding mission on Zambia, yesterday released a statement, expressing concern about multiple allegations of arbitrary arrests and detentions on charges of unlawful assembly, espionage, hate speech and seditious practices against opposition political party leaders and members, parliamentarians, human rights defenders and activists, as well as restrictions on gatherings, meetings, peaceful protests and rallies in Zambia. “Since January 2022, at least 26 such cases have been brought to the attention of the experts. Information received indicates that in some cases, arrests, intimidation and...