Amnesty International on Thursday urged Zambian authorities will drop all charges against journalist MacPherson Mukuka and release him from custody after he was arrested for posting a private conversation with officials on social media.
Mukuka, a journalist with the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), was arrested on July 17 for recording and uploading to social media a private conversation between Zambian officials on a presidential campaign team without their consent. Authorities have charged him under Section 10 of the Act Cybercrime Act 2025which criminalizes the recording of a private conversation without prior notice and provides for sanctions of a fine, a prison sentence of up to two years, or both.
According to Amnesty International Regional Director Tigere Chagutah, Mukuka’s arrest represents an abuse of the criminal justice system by the authorities to intimidate journalists for merely carrying out their professional duties.
He further explained that Mukuka’s arrest under the Cyber Crimes Act raises concerns about the application of the law in Zambia and its potential impact on investigative journalism, noting that the incident comes a few weeks before the general elections scheduled for August 13 Cyber Security Act which have been heavily criticized by legal authorities due to the nature of their provisions, which grant states extensive surveillance powers and make critical terms vulnerable to political weaponization.
Mukuka’s lawyers have since filed a habeas corpus application in the Lusaka High Court to challenge his lengthy police detention. They argued that keeping him behind bars without taking him to court or releasing him on bail was a violation of his constitutional rights.
In addition, Amnesty has stressed that the authorities must stop their attacks on journalists and uphold fundamental human rights, including freedom of the press and the right to freedom of expression. It also emphasized that the Zambian authorities should comply with the country’s human rights obligations by ensuring that the media can report on issues of public interest without fear of reprisals or reprisals.
Human rights groups have previously condemned Zambia’s deteriorating human rights situation and its restrictive media laws. In 2024, Amnesty International condemned the arrest of a Zambian journalist for publishing an article critical of government officials and called on authorities to respect constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression.
In June 2025, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) raised concerns about deteriorating press freedom in Zambia after a Supreme Court blocked the broadcast of an investigative documentary about Chinese investments in the country.
Freedom of expression is anchored in it Article 20 paragraph 1 the Zambian Constitution, and this includes the right to express opinions, disseminate ideas and disseminate information. However, civil society groups have pointed out that the clawback clause under Article 20(2) of the Constitution, which allows the government to limit this right when “reasonably necessary” for reasons of national security, directly violates Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)in which Zambia is involved.
