UN rights chief flags arrests after Zambia's disputed election

UN rights chief Volker Turk urged Zambia to end arbitrary arrests after post-election opposition detentions. The appeal sharpens scrutiny of the poll fallout as the opposition contests the result in court.Stock photo used for illustrationUN human rights chief Volker Turk on Wednesday expressed concern over the arrest of opposition officials after last week’s troubled election in Zambia, and urged the authorities to stop arresting people arbitrarily. His remarks came a day after President Hakainde Hichilema was declared the winner of the election for a second five-year term.The arrests followed a raid by Zambian law enforcement agents on election night last Thursday at a property where main opposition leader Brian Mundubile was present. The government said there was an exchange of gunfire, that "high-grade military weapons" were found at the site, and that 11 opposition officials were arrested for posing a threat to state security.Mundubile denied the allegations and said the opposition officials were unarmed and were shot at. He also said he is currently "under protection" because of safety concerns, but did not give more details about his whereabouts. He won around 38 per cent of the vote, according to official results, but rejected the outcome, alleged irregularities and said his opposition alliance would challenge the results in court.Turk said Zambian authorities should stop arresting people arbitrarily and bring anyone detained to court promptly to answer any charges. All arrests "must be fully consistent with international human rights standards, as well as Zambian domestic law," he said in a statement. The Zambian government has not said where the arrested officials are being held or what charges they may face. Mundubile also alleged that another opposition figure, a former minister, was shot during the raid and is now missing. The election period was unusually tense in the copper-rich southern African country, which has held largely peaceful votes since returning to multiparty democracy in 1991. Vote counting was suspended for hours on Friday, the day after polling, with the electoral commission citing violence against officials at some polling stations and the theft of ballot papers, though it did not say who was responsible.The developments have kept attention on the election and its aftermath, with the opposition disputing the result, the government defending the arrests after the raid, and the UN rights chief calling for any action by the authorities to follow the law and international human rights standards. With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 19, 2026 20:06 IST