HRW warns of post-election crackdown in Zambia after disputed August vote

Human Rights Watch has called on Zambia's authorities to halt what it described as an intensifying crackdown on opposition figures, journalists, lawyers and government critics after the disputed August election. The rights group said the post-election climate has included arrests, disappearances, beatings and threats, with the pressure continuing in recent months. It said the pattern has created a chilling effect on civic and political activity.

In a report released on Sunday, the organisation said Zambian police and military forces had forcibly disappeared, arbitrarily detained, beaten and threatened opposition members and supporters, as well as lawyers, journalists and critics, in the days before and after the August 2026 general election. It said several opposition figures had been arrested and some had disappeared since President Hakainde Hichilema claimed victory. Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz, the group's deputy Africa director, urged the authorities to end the cycle of repression, allow access to lawyers, provide medical care for detainees and release those arbitrarily held.

The report comes after Hichilema was sworn in for a second term following the August vote, which critics said was marred by vote rigging. At the time of his inauguration at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, his main rival Brian Mundubile was in detention on treason accusations after claiming the opposition had won. Police raided Mundubile's home the day after the August 13 election, and former cabinet member Mutotwe Kafwaya was shot and killed during the operation.

Human Rights Watch also called for an independent, impartial and thorough investigation into that incident. The allegations are significant because they point to a wider breakdown in trust around the electoral process and the treatment of dissent in the months after the vote. The report suggests that the dispute has moved beyond political contestation into a broader rights crisis involving security forces, the courts and opposition activity.

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It also raises questions about the space available for journalists and lawyers to operate freely while the authorities pursue cases linked to the election. Human Rights Watch said about a dozen other opposition figures who questioned the election results have also been arrested. It added that authorities suddenly closed the country's courts two weeks after the election, which police described as an intelligence-led and preventive measure.

The report did not provide a full public accounting of all those affected, but it said the pattern of intimidation has continued over recent months. The organisation's call adds pressure on the government to explain the arrests, disappearances and the role of security forces. What remains unclear is how many people are still being held, where those reported disappeared are, and whether any independent inquiry will be opened into the alleged abuses.

The report also leaves open whether the authorities will respond to the call for access to lawyers and medical care for detainees. For now, the case is likely to remain a test of Zambia's post-election political climate and the government's willingness to address allegations against its security services.

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