Thu, 13 Jul 2017 14:30:09 +0000
BY CHIKUMBI KATEBE
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema and five others facing charges of treason have been moved back to Mukobeko Maximum Prison following the court’s decision after the matter they were appearing in was adjourned to 26th July 2017.
Lawyer to the incarcerated opposition leader Gilbert Phiri confirmed the movement yesterday that his clients were flown to Kabwe in a state chopper from the Lusaka Central Correctional Facility.
Mr Phiri said they were convinced the move was undertaken under the provision of the proclamation of Article 31 by President Edgar Lungu in view of the threats to national security.
The lawyer said the invocation of the threat to public emergency provided for the security wings to undertake actions without explanation, as long as they saw it fit.
And on his Facebook page, the UPND leader posted that they had again been taken back to Mukobeko maximum prison.
“The state has moved us from Chimbokaila prison in the Capital City, Lusaka to Mukobeko where are we right now,” he said.
He made an appeal to his supporters to remain strong and watchful of each other, especially the country’s democracy.
He called on his sympathisers to always remember that “it’s darker before dawn and to everything there is an end, this includes life”.
“For now, our stay here is unpredictable, but we can state that our country’s democracy is under threat and we must all rise to defend it, as for us we will to the end,” he said.
