H. E. Frederick Chiluba
President of the Republic Zambia
State House
Lusaka
Zambia
Vienna, 7 March 1996
Your Excellency,
The International Press Institute (IPI) is extremely concerned about the case of three journalists working for The Post a bi-weekly newspaper.
On 27 February 1996, editor-in-chief Fred M’membe, managing editor Bright Mwape, and freelance columnist Lucy Sichone were found guilty by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Robinson Nabulyato, of being in contempt of Parliament and sentenced to indefinite imprisonment under the Protection of the Parliamentary Privileges Act, legislation dating back to British colonial rule.
The contempt charges relate to articles the three wrote commenting on Vice President Godfrey Miyanda’s criticism in Parliament of a 10 January decision by the Supreme Court to rule as unconstitutional sections of the Public Order Act which require people to obtain police permits for public gatherings.
Following their sentencing, the three journalists went into hiding. We are now informed that M’membe and Mwape handed themselves in on 4 March and that they were taken to maximum security prisons to start an indefinite prison term. We understand that Sichone is still in hiding.
IPI), the global network of editors and media executives from newspapers, magazines, broadcasting organisations and news agencies in 85 countries condemns the fact that M’membe, Mwape and Sichone were convicted by a Parliamentary edict and not by a court of justice. We therefore call for the immediate release of M’membe and Mwape and a reversal of all three convictions. Furthermore, we demand an immediate end to the campaign of harassment being waged against The Post.
We thank you for your attention.
Yours sincerely,
Johann P. Fritz
Director
CC: Dr. Robinson Nabulyato
Speaker of the National Assembly
Lusaka
Zambia