zambianewsnetwork.com 2026-09-11 00:00:00

Zambia: The arbitrary cancellation of passports by Zambian authorities is a violation of international human rights law. By weaponizing citizenship documents to target dissidents, activists, or political opponents, authorities explicitly breach the right to freedom of movement enshrined in Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ICCPR.According to Amnesty International, this practice has raised concerns about a wider post-election crackdown on dissent in Zambia, which includes arbitrary arrests and detention of opposition members and other government critics. Vongai Chikwanda, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, highlighted that the decision to cancel these passports effectively strips individuals of their legal and social identity, trapping them in a state of de facto statelessness and undermining their dignity and basic civil protections.Amnesty International calls on Zambian authorities to revoke these passport cancellations, re store the affected individuals' passports, and remedy any harm resulting from this action. The organization has documented a rapid deterioration in the human rights situation in Zambia surrounding the general elections, marked by arbitrary arrests, detention, attacks, and intimidation targeting human rights defenders, activists, journalists, and opposition political party members.On 11 September, Zambian authorities issued a notice cancelling the passports of several government critics, citing national security concerns. However, under Zambia's Passports and Citizenship legislation, cancellations are permitted only under specified grounds, such as loss of citizenship or fraud. Political criticism or opposition to the government is not a valid ground for cancellation.